(Sorry for the break from posting over the last couple weeks. Holy Week, as it does for most pastors, took over my life.)

Chapter 39 of the Rule of St. Benedict is a hard one for me. It addresses “the proper amount of food.” I usually behave myself here in my middle years, but my college buddies could tell you stories of the damage I could do to the pizza buffet at Mazzio’s. If I let myself, I can still pack in seconds and thirds from a hearty meal and still find room for dessert and a snack later. I’m not alone in this; most Americans have conditioned themselves to stuffing themselves. Benedict isn’t trying to lead us to starving ourselves through extended periods of fasting, but he does recommend a balanced approach to eating. Those who do strenuous work might need a little more food, but overall he warns against eating too much, saying, “For nothing is so inconsistent with the life of any Christian as overindulgence.”

Frederick Buechner defines gluttony as raiding “the icebox for a cure for spiritual malnutrition.” He’s right. When I overdo it at mealtime I usually am seeking some joy beyond what the food on the table can bring me. I love to cook, and I love trying new foods and enjoying food made with care and love. There’s nothing wrong with that, and enjoying and sharing food in its proper place is a great blessing in life. The problem comes, though, when we think the third helping of food will fill an emptiness in our hearts. Benedict isn’t trying to take away the joy of eating, but instead he’s pointing us to a Goldilocks-like approach to eating. A starvation meal might be too little, and a third helping of heaping portions might be too much, but an adequate meal enjoyed and appreciated will be just right.