Praxis, defined on the Houghton College website as “a reflection aimed toward action,” spanned the week of January 20-25th and reflected on the topic “Feasting and Fasting” through various events, chapels, and workshops.
This spring’s Praxis week featured Houghton professors Michael Jordan and Sarah Derck, as well as Duke Divinity School’s Norman Wirzba and the global executive officer of Food for the Hungry, Luis Noda.
Sarah Derck, professor of Old Testament, commenced the week’s events in Monday’s chapel, where she explored the topic “Food in the Old Testament,” and introduced ways for Christians to relate to seemingly outdated Biblical tradition. Derck explained that while considering this topic, she fittingly prefers to start at the beginning, with the original sin. In introducing her lecture, Derck said, “Americans have a love/hate relationship with our food.” She went on to voice her hope that we might recover strength in such a relationship.
After Derck’s lecture, Sodexo challenged students to exchange one cafeteria meal for a simpler dinner of bread and soup. Participation in this event not only encouraged students to discipline their bodies through eating less, but also allowed them to better the community, as Sodexo will be donating the cost of each forfeited dinner to a local food pantry.
Other related activities and discussions included a workshop on how to create and maintain a window garden, a panel discussion considering various subcategories of vegetarianism, and a campus-wide potluck, followed by communion, held Thursday evening as a conclusive event to the week’s reflection.
Tuesday’s workshop discussions included a lecture presented by Mike Walters, Professor of Christian Ministries, examining “Feasting and Fasting as Spiritual Disciplines.” The lecture explored aspects of feasting and fasting such as choosing to limit food intake in order to move closer to God, and how not doing so potentially leads away from His will.
Also held on Tuesday were two panel discussions: one on vegetarianism and another concerned with informing attendees about members in the community currently producing food.
Luis Noda led Wednesday’s chapel with a lecture on “Food and Social Justice,” focusing on the indisputable lack of food in the world today. As part of the organization Food for the Hungry, Noda is understandably interested in this lack of food and how it relates to the presence of hunger.
In a description concerning the topic of his lecture, Noda wrote, “Psalm 146 mentions how the Lord gives food to the hungry, as well as how he responds to other social justice issues. Chronic hunger and malnourishment is intimately linked to the lack of social justice from the Biblical point of view and interrelated to poverty.” Noda discussed ways in which Christians should react to such an injustice.
Thursday offered a variety of workshops and discussions including Michael Jordan’s lecture exploring “Feasting and Fasting Through the Christian Year.” Jordan said, concerning both his lecture and Praxis as a whole, “I hope it will help students to develop a closer connection to the source of their food.” He encouraged those who listened to learn from traditional feasts and fasts of the Christian year, as they often create paths for spiritual growth.
Norman Wirzba’s Friday lecture on “Eating as a Christian Act” signified a final conclusion to the week’s reflection. Wirzba said, “My focus for the talk [was] on what it looks like for Christians to think about food as a gift from God, rather than a commodity, like so much of our industrial food system wants us to think.”
Concerning the spring Praxis, Michael Jordan said, “Through feasting and fasting, we are disciplining our bodies. We need to be more content to do that.”