Energy to Go

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Energy drink

Long before Red Bull begin to “give you wings,” as they boast in their current advertising campaign, energy drinks were common in Japan. In a country renown for its industrious labor force and late-night drinkers who often get by on minimal sleep, Japan offers a wide selection of high-powered beverages to keep its workers operating at peak efficiency. Energy drinks in Japan were initially packaged in small brown bottles and sold as quasi-medicinal remedies readily available for people on the go. The exhausted businessman, the tired student, the fatigued housewife, the late-night partier or the weary traveler can purchase immediate energy at any convenience store, train station kiosk or drugstore for a reasonable price.

Loaded with caffeine, these drinks are often advertised as healthy supplements full of vitamins, minerals and various vegetable extracts. A key ingredient in almost all Japanese energy drinks is taurine, an amino acid-like chemical substance that is naturally found in meat, fish and dairy products. Unlike caffeine, which is a noted stimulant, taurine is actually a sedative that serves to reduce feelings of anxiety and therefore, theoretically improves productivity. Most energy drinks sold abroad focus more on caffeine content, but the Japanese versions are generally more complex and are advertised as “nutritional” or “medicinal” in order to attract a wider spectrum of consumers.

Lipovitan is one of the oldest and most popular brands of energy drinks marketed in Japan and was first sold in 1962 as an herbal “energizing tonic.” In ad campaigns, it strategically targeted sleepy, tired workers enduring long shifts in the midst of a booming post-war economy. Energy drinks eventually spread to other parts of Asia, until one enterprising businessman took the concept and developed the Red Bull brand for the European market, which eventually spread to North America. However, coffee continues as the most popular form of quick energy in Japan and can be purchased anywhere in both hot and cold versions through vending machines located throughout the country. Caffeine-boosted soft drinks are also widely advertised and more recently, an increasing number of alcoholic drinks are now infused with energy-producing additives. All these beverages come with a promise to increase energy, focus and improve performance.

Considering the chronic state of tiredness that seems to be common for many in Japan, it is no surprise that one of the most popular Bible verses frequently featured by churches in their bulletins, websites or billboards is Matthew 11:28. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” A sense of weariness or tiredness seems to permeate the very fabric of Japanese society, which expresses itself in many forms, but the graver danger goes well beyond just physical and mental exhaustion. The popularity of this verse identifies a troubling condition that no energy drink can alleviate and offers a far more substantive, life-altering remedy.

As both the Son of God and the Son of Man, Jesus fully understood the complexities and the desperate needs of the human heart. His life-changing offer of rest was not just to people suffering from physical and emotional exhaustion, but to those who were worn down by the greater burdens of sin and shame. Jesus aptly compared these burdens to a “yoke,” (v. 29) which controls or enslaves beasts of burden to a difficult task. But unlike an energy drink, which provides only a very temporary solution for a very temporary problem, Jesus offers to take our yoke upon Himself which came in the form of a cross. In so doing, Jesus provides not an energy drink, but eternal, life-giving water so we will never thirst again (John 4:14).

Bentō Boxes

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat…” Psalm 127:2a

Bento box

My generation has made its fair share of contributions to American culture and one of these was the advancement in lunchbox décor. With the invention of the television, the bland monochromatic colors of previous lunchboxes gave way to colorful depictions of popular TV shows and cartoons. For example, I vividly recall my Lone Ranger box accompanying me to the school lunchroom everyday where it competed with the Jetsons, Davy Crockett, Superman, Yogi Bear and a host of other beloved characters portrayed on other kids’ lunchboxes. However, the boring contents of my lunch, which consisted primarily of a PBJ or a bologna sandwich, some carrot sticks, an apple and a thermos of milk remained relatively unchanged. Unknown to me at that time, on the other side of the world, the Japanese had already developed a separate lunch box culture centuries earlier. It was called an obentō.

An obentō is an individual-sized portion and well-balanced meal designed for easy transport and consumption. It consists of a starch such as rice or noodles, a protein (meat, fish), some kind of vegetable and, often, a fruit side dish. It traditionally includes a set of chopsticks and comes in both disposable or reusable containers that are divided into smaller compartments. The more durable boxes are sold in many forms ranging from expensive hand-crafted lacquerware to plastic cutesy boxes in the shape of trains or a favorite anime character. The actual term, bentō (弁当), is derived from the Japanese word for “convenient” and is often prefaced with an “o” used in honorific speech patterns.

These Japanese lunch boxes are sold throughout Japan in convenience stores, train stations, grocery stores and specialty bentō shops. The general cost of a bentō is often less than US $5, but there are pricier versions that include more expensive or larger amounts of food. Japanese wives and mothers are generally responsible for preparing their children’s or husband’s bentō, which is a task they take quite seriously. Among mothers, there is an unspoken competition in designing and creating a visually attractive and nutritious meal. The ingredients are often prepared the night before and then assembled in the morning. Great care is given to include certain color combinations and many mothers take the extra time to shape and decorate food to resemble people, flowers, animals or favorite cartoon characters to the delight of their children. In Japan, the contents of a child’s lunch box, fair or not, is often viewed as a reflection of their parental care, which can put considerable pressure on some mothers who are overly preoccupied with such expectations.

As an adult, I now better appreciate my mother’s selfless labor in preparing my lunch every day, but I don’t think she put the same amount of effort into it as we witnessed in Japan. Preparing lunches is one thing, but the pressure to daily provide and prepare food for one’s family is no small feat that is a challenge in every culture. However, there is an important perspective that should be kept in mind in the midst of such responsibilities. That being, God is the ultimate provider for whatever is placed upon our table, cooked on our stove, stored in our pantry, cooled in our refrigerator or packed away in a lunch box.

Feasting is a common motif in the Bible and it is often used to describe intimate and joyous fellowship with God who provides all that we need as represented by the abundance of the banquet He spreads before us (Isaiah 25:6). We labor and strive for such things on earth, and in so doing, we are foolishly tempted to think we alone are responsible for such matters. But He who faithfully provided manna for His people in the wilderness calls us to seek His kingdom above all else because He shall provide for our needs (Matthew 6:33). You may have the best obentō before you, but an eternal feast awaits us.

Presentation vs. Palate

“On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:28

Presentation-Palate

The slice of cake carefully set before us by our kind hostess looked exquisite. It was decorated with luscious, flawless strawberries and topped with artfully applied whipped cream on a precisely cut piece of cake displayed on beautiful china. My wife and I felt like royalty as we gazed upon the delicacy offered for our consumption. “This is going to be amazing,” I thought to myself as I eagerly took my first bite. However, I soon discovered that the taste did not quite match the anticipation. While it was tasty, the edible artwork before me served as evidence that presentation often takes precedence over palate in Japan.

Food presentation, known as moritsuke (盛り付け) in Japanese, means literally “arrangement of food on a dish.” The objective is to engage the aesthetic senses of the diner and draw them in, much like someone admiring a work of art. In the Western world, this is often referred to as “plating,” where the symmetry of food on a plate is the primary focus in meal presentation. However, in Japan, moritsuke points to portions of a meal artfully placed in a variety of dishes and embellished with decorative garnishing. These presentations often have a seasonal theme and the decorations, known as mukimono, are typically intricate creations of flowers, animals, fish or dragons carved from various vegetables and fruits that are not necessarily intended to be eaten, but exist as one aspect of the overall culinary picture.

This emphasis on the appearance of food is most often evident in the display of sushi and sashimi in the more extravagant Japanese meals that serve to make one’s dining experience a memorable occasion. The Japanese language certainly has words to cover a whole range of tastes such as sweet (amai), spicy (karai), bitter (nigai), sour (suppai) and salty (shoppai), but the appearance of food is also an important element in food preparation. After a few months of living in Japan, we started to wonder how the vegetables and fruits for sale in the stores always seemed to be perfectly shaped and colored. This mystery was solved one day when we discovered a number of misshapen, but perfectly good potatoes being sold by a local farmer for a pittance of their normal value as they could not sell them in the open market. Appearance is valued in all stages of the food preparation process.

Focus on appearance is not necessarily a bad thing, and in fact, we routinely give a great deal of attention to image over substance in a number of areas. This focus on image can be seen in the clothing we wear, the manner in which we style our hair, the diets or exercise we endure to achieve a certain body shape, the material goods we accumulate or the manner in which we communicate. We want to look good in front of others and consequently, we devote a considerable amount of time, effort and resources to that end.

But how we appear before God, who sees beyond external trappings, should compel us to examine ourselves so that we might live lives guided by a higher standard, a heavenly standard. Jesus saved his harshest criticisms for the religious leaders because they valued rules over people, physical practices over spiritual presence and religion over relationship. He compared them to whitewashed tombs full of decay or dirty dishes that had only been cleaned on the outside. (Matthew 23) Hypocrisy may be rampant in the world around us, but heavenly moritsuke calls for aligning our lives with the heart of God who is not distracted or deceived by appearances. In the spiritual realm, presentation should never take precedence over palate.

Mixed Ingredients

“Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:20

After a few months in Japan, I was starving for some familiar American junk food. McDonald’s (pronounced “Makudonarudo”) was already fairly common at that time, but my friends and I were particularly hungry for pizza. When someone informed us that there was a Shakey’s Pizza located downtown that offered an all-you-can-eat buffet for only ¥500, we immediately organized an expedition to satisfy our pent-up cravings. Upon arrival, we strategically located ourselves at a table closest to the serving counter so we could be the first to pounce on the fresh pizzas as they were brought out. A couple of minutes later, when a pizza was pulled out of the oven and sliced up for the waiting customers, we sprang into action. To our dismay, the main topping on this particular pizza was corn, so we reluctantly returned to our table to wait for a better offering. Shortly afterwards, we leapt into action when another pizza was served, but this one was covered with octopus tentacles so again, we took a pass. The next one looked like a cheese pizza which we hungrily scooped up, but one bite revealed the “cheese” was actually mayonnaise! We were eventually rewarded with some pizzas that looked and tasted more familiar, but that day served as a reminder that common foods back home may be mixed with some uncommon ingredients in Japan.

We really weren’t in a position to complain as Americans back home were guilty of similar culinary infractions upon Japanese food. For example, when sushi was first introduced in the West, it suffered all kinds of abuse by innovative chefs and inexperienced customers. On occasion, I enjoyed observing the horrified response of my Japanese friends when I informed them that some Americans liked to put ketchup on their sushi before eating it. Perhaps this was a petty form of revenge for what the Japanese had done to my beloved pizza. Thankfully, after a few years of culinary experimentation on both sides of the ocean, recognizable forms of both pizza and sushi are now readily available for traditional diners like myself.

Before partaking in the First Passover (Exodus 12), God instructed the Israelites to prepare bread, but it was not to include the usual ingredient of yeast. The purpose of this curious omission was to drive home the powerful point that they were to be a people set aside for God, living consecrated lives in line with His purposes. Centuries later, the New Testament picks up on this theme using the concept of yeast synonymously for sin, because it can spread into our lives affecting everything it touches (Galatians 5:9). This is why the Apostle John calls for us to exercise discretion in what we crave in this world while we continue to live in it (I John 2:15-17). Our fondness for particular foods is certainly understandable and often culturally driven, but our appetite for things or activities that are diametrically opposed to the will of God can lead us astray and set us on a path of destruction. Mixed ingredients can be acceptable when it comes to culinary matters, but in the spiritual realm, it can give us a bad case of eternal indigestion.

A Dangerous Morsel

“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” Proverbs 18:8

Diners at the sushi restaurant admired the paper-thin slices of raw pufferfish sashimi artfully arranged before them on the platter in the shape of a chrysanthemum, while naively ignoring its potential danger. One tiny mistake by the highly trained sushi chef could result in the death of those enjoying this popular Japanese delicacy. A poisonous neurotoxin, located primarily in the liver and ovaries of the pufferfish, is 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide, with no known antidote. More than one hundred people die annually from eating improperly prepared pufferfish, known as “fugu” in Japanese.

Some fugu aficionados actually choose to dine at specialty sushi restaurants where microscopic portions of the poison are purposefully not removed by the chef so that the consumer can experience a bit of a buzz or tingling sensation. As a precaution in such cases, the chef is required to sample the sushi to verify that it is safe. Due to its deadly toxicity, the government has banned the sale of whole pufferfish to the general public and it is the only food the emperor of Japan is forbidden by law to eat in order to ensure his safety.

The Scriptures point to the existence of other dangerous morsels parallel the peculiar culinary habits of eating fugu. The Book of Proverbs compares gossip or slander to a delicious morsel that can be appealing to our sense of taste or sight, but produces deadly effects when consumed. It begins when our sinful nature tempts us to listen to the reports of others’ misfortunes or misdeeds in the form of gossip, which may or may not be grounded in truth. The ingestion of such morsels can produce deep wounds in both the listener and the person who is the center of such malicious gossip. Like a deadly toxin, it has the potential to penetrate one’s inmost being and as a consequence, destroy relationships and reputations. This is why we are instructed to put a guard on our hearts, restricting our diet to things that are true, right, holy and honoring to God. Just as there are healthy and unhealthy food choices we must make every day, gossip has harmful effects on the lives of those who choose to consume it.