Faith like Bacon?

October 21, 2011 By
Bacon Soda. It’s Bacon-Free.



The Flavor of my Faith

We have a vegetarian family member who happens to love bacon. Who doesn’t like it? The humble breakfast food, made from pork bellies, is enjoying a crazy run of popularity these days. You can buy bacon-flavored soda. Or bacon gumballs. Bacon soap. Bacon chocolate bars. Baconnaise spread. Bacon air freshener for your car. Bacon lollipops.

In Utah, they’re talking about bacon donuts.

Something’s funny, though, about baconmania:

Most of the “bacon” products–the soda, the lip balm, the bacon popcorn–don’t contain any real bacon. They’re just flavored to remind us of it.

A baconophile could embrace bacon all day long, wearing bacon socks, cleaning his teeth with bacon floss, and never taste real bacon. If you happen to be a bacon-loving vegetarian, this state of affairs is handy. I doubt there’s great harm in fake bacony goodness.

But if I let myself, I could join the Christ-craze, instead of following Christ. 
I could listen to Christian radio, read Christian literature, wear Jesus t-shirts, adorn my car with Christian bumper stickers, carry an “edgy” Christian wallet, even serve you  organic peach white Bible verse tea from a mug inscribed with Scripture, offering you a cocktail napkin printed in another verse should you spill.
[Disclosure: I do own socks that Jesus gave me. But they don’t have His name on them.]
I could surround myself with all those things and never, ever, learn a thing about God’s mercy and grace, about His power and righteousness, about the sacrifice of His Son’s blood that washed away my sin. I could load up my world with symbols of God and never be His hands and feet in this world. 
I could be a Christian who doesn’t love Christ as much as I love stuff that reminds me of Christ. 

God help me. In this abundant land, I could so easily keep Jesus on the outside, where everyone but me can see Him. 
My prayer today is that I feast on real Gospel, real Scripture, real God. 
I don’t need Bible verse tea. I need the Holy Spirit.

 8 O N)’>blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear the LORD, you P)’>no want. 10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall , Psalm 34, salvation, stuff

Comments

  1. HisFireFly
    October 21, 2011 at 6:46 am

    Yes!

    Let me know Him not just know about Him.

    Let me taste fully Who He Was, Is and Will Be

  2. diana
    October 21, 2011 at 7:37 am

    Love this, Sheila – and the one about the socks! Those evacuation times are awful – so disorienting and scary. We had two in one year and that was enough for a lifetime. So glad your home made it through that bout!

    And this bacon stuff? Great analogy. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the kitschy stuff that’s out there, purportedly to help us grow (??) in our faith when in reality it’s just another way for somebody to make a quick buck. Seems so far from the cross-shaped life we’re called to live, doesn’t it? But then, I imagine I could find ways to sneak around God’s voice even without the kitsch. That is a constant prayer – keep me open, keep me honest, remind me who you are and who I’m not. Thanks for this.

  3. Sheila
    October 21, 2011 at 7:43 am

    Karin,
    You said it better than I did:
    “Let me know Him and not just about Him.”

    Thank you. Bless you.

  4. Sheila
    October 21, 2011 at 7:48 am

    Diana,
    Yes…the evacuations are scary. It’s that time of year again. So far so good.

    Sometimes I think it’s more complex than the “quick buck” idea. If the gifts God gave one lead that one to t-shirt design and sales, what is one to do? I was just peeking at the website for NOTW. They run a ministry, too.

  5. David Rupert
    October 21, 2011 at 8:36 am

    You are amazing. You found a way to combine Bacon and Jesus.

  6. Sheila
    October 21, 2011 at 8:54 am

    David, you’re too kind.

    Some people say bacon goes with everything.

    I think Jesus goes with everything.

  7. Carolyn Counterman
    October 21, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    Bacon! Bacon! Bacon! (had to get that out)

    You said it all, Sheila. We need to focus on Christ, not cute Christ accessories.

  8. Sheila
    October 21, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Carolyn,
    I’ve been expecting that. Thanks for making me chuckle. 🙂

    More, thanks for your kind words.

  9. Ann Kroeker
    October 21, 2011 at 1:26 pm

    I LOVE this contribution to Food on Fridays!

    And I LOVE bacon.

    Have you seen the picture floating around Facebook? I just linked to it. Look for Bob Hope.

  10. Sheila
    October 21, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Thanks, Ann. Me too! (Bacon, I mean.)

    I will look for the picture shortly. Rich is uploading pictures from our girl’s wedding last Friday, and I don’t want to disturb that process!

  11. shrinkingthecamel.com
    October 24, 2011 at 3:26 am

    Yes to bacon.

    This hit a pet peeve of mine, which is all the Jesus Junk that Christians can load up on. Sometimes I think it’s a slap on our faith, diminishing the substance of God’s kingdom.

    But then again, I also own a few Christian CD’s, so who am I to buck the enterprise? 🙂

  12. Sheila
    October 24, 2011 at 5:34 am

    I think it’s reflective of our culture, no? We do seem to thrive on (demand?) choices, options, 16 different versions….

    I remember returning from my overseas research in Polynesia. I needed to buy shampoo and was literally paralyzed by the dozens and dozens of choices in the supermarket here. At the place that had been home for the last several months, I was fortunate if the shop had a bottle of shampoo when I needed it.

  13. Lisa
    November 3, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    I’ve always found it strange that Christianity has become a decorating style instead of a life style. Just wondering when HGTV is going to come out with a new show, maybe called “Christ-bling your Room” or something silly like that. Wonderful post. Found you through the featured blog post at High Calling.

  14. Sheila
    November 3, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    The Jesusification of Interior Design. I can see it now.

    Thanks for coming by, Lisa!

  15. Brandee Shafer
    November 3, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    Ooh…I need to share this with my SIL. She’s a bacon lover, that girl. She’s a Jesus lover, too.

  16. Sheila
    November 3, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    Thanks, Brandee! I hope she enjoys it.