“A bird caught in a birdline has a twofold task: It must free itself and cleanse itself. And by satisfying their appetites, people suffer in a twofold way: They must detach themselves and, after being detached, clean themselves of what has clung to them.” –John of the Cross, Sayings of Light and Love, #22.

We weakened creatures have descended through our appetites into a pattern of destruction: regardless of motivation, we desire and consume, largely unconcerned with the attendant suffering.

All the natural world is the glory of God. His very first act was to make heaven and earth, and yet we destroy it without thinking. Before mankind: the earth, the sky and air, the waters, the dry land, the vegetation, the creatures, each according to the kind. They went forth and multiplied without us.

All is vanity and all wrecks God’s creation, often at the click of a button, the exchange of currency. I believe we Christians can and should do better–hence the John of the Cross quote. We should mortify our appetites to better hear the call of God, of Jesus, waiting for the Holy Spirit to guide us in our Christian progress. And yet we should also mortify our appetites to preserve what remains of his creation, his handywork. This is a call from deep to deep, an ancient sound whose silence resounded over the waters and land long before our voiceboxes first emitted their strange sounds. We are of his hand, and we should be working to please him whom we love above all else.

I urge all Christians to consider veganism as a small way to minimize suffering in the world. In doing so, we preserve God’s command to love both our neighbor and him, and to put this love into practice by, in a very small way, loving him through our faith, mind, and acts.

May God bless you and help you find peace.