More Meaningless World Records

It debuted in 1955 and has remained oddly popular ever since – odd being the key word. It is the Guinness Book of World Records, a collection of the bizarre and amazing records in every imaginable sphere. This past week several more records were attempted, including a Tokyo man who ran a hundred meter dash in under 19 seconds – not exactly impressive unless doing so while down on all fours! The first edition of the ultimate record book debuted in 1955 and was an instant hit. Some 50,000 original copies were sold and then three more editions were produced due to demand over the ensuing 12 months.

In more recent years, another field of record setting has emerged and become wildly popular. It is called competitive eating. This ‘sport’ even has its own official governing body – ‘Major League Eating’. Actually this type of activity has been around for centuries only more so in the background. In the Edda, a collection of 13th-century Norse myths, a story is told of an eating contest between the god Loki and his servant (the servant won by eating the plate). But one of the most well known food frenzies is held in Coney Island, New York, at Nathan’s Famous, a hot dog-based restaurant founded back in 1916. This year’s winner of the annual tummy torture thriller was Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California, who downed a staggering 59 dogs in the 10-minute regulation match. It can only be imagined how this form of American ‘competition’ is viewed in places where hunger and starvation is a brutal fact of everyday life.

But in many ways, over-eating has become no laughing matter in America. The problem seems to stem primarily on what is known simply as ‘portion distortion’. The consequences of the trend are easily seen in the variety of health issues that are initiated, or exacerbated, by eating too much and/or too much of the wrong food.

With that said, Jesus spoke about a more serious issue than taking in too much by way of mouth. The Pharisees were pressing Him as usual - this time about why His disciples were transgressing tradition by not washing their hands before they ate. In Matthew chapter 15: 8-9, the Lord silenced their attack by relating the all-important difference between worshipping God externally with lip service versus sincerely and internally from the heart. He typically summed the whole matter up in a few concise and profound words. “When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matthew 15:10-11)

To discover what the Lord was getting at takes only a brief consideration of His half brother’s words in James chapter 3. Beginning in verse 5, he wrote, “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” Again, even a casual review of this passage reveals that what exits one’s mouth is far more harmful and deadly than what enters it!

Just imagine for a moment the untapped opportunities and potential of the church of Christ today. Imagine if some of the resources freely spent on excess and fancy foods were redirected to those for whom finding anything to eat is a matter of life and death? Consider briefly what might result if the time and energy regularly focused on ‘fine dining’ was instead spent on feeding and nourishing the Christian’s spiritual growth? And think about how much more effective the church would be in the world if it understood, and fully applied, the words of its Savor and leader in Matthew 4? “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

There is an old, and fairly accurate, saying which goes as follows. “You are what you eat.” If so, then those in God’s family need to constantly consider their physical and spiritual diets. They must make any effort necessary to regulate their daily input according to the words of the prophet Jeremiah.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Bill Breckenridge