In the past I have written about the fruit of the Spirit (Christian Fruit Loops) and the vegetables of the Spirit (Vegetables of the Spirit) never before have I written about the meat of the Spirit (or nuts, legumes, eggs, dairy, soy – if you prefer). Perhaps “protein of the Spirit” would be less offensive to non-carnivores, but without beating the metaphor to death I would like to add a third dimension to our “spiritual diet.”

Protein works in a variety of marvelous ways in the body, providing essential nutrients and chemicals that fruits and vegetables alone fail to supply. Protein is important to bone health, muscle growth and repair, the regulation of digestion, metabolism, and immune function, as well as promoting healing and cellular repair, reducing the risk of heart disease and other circulatory ailments. For growth, strength, energy, and vitality, protein cannot be ignored.

So, diving deeply into an imaginary and not in anyway blasphemous or questionable speculative Epistle to Laodicea, I offer a Pauline-esque instruction to the Laodiceans, chapter 5, verses 16-21:

“¹⁶Now you know that you are each members of the body of Christ, and that by God’s glorious Spirit you produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, ¹⁷and that to balance your diet many vegetables are required – duty, commitment, justice, perseverance, mercy, sacrifice, compassion, tolerance, and accountability, ¹⁸but did you not know that you must also complement this banquet with the finest meat? From the days of Moses, offerings of lamb, bull, goat, fowl, fish, and an occasional ram, were made to God and shared by all. ¹⁹This provision protected the people and reminded them of the generous goodness of God; goodness expected to be extended by God’s people to everyone. ²⁰Now the meat of the Spirit consists of grace, integrity, honesty, equity, humility, conviction, munificence, hospitality, and universality. Without these things the body of Christ cannot thrive, and the Spirit of God cannot possibly transform this world into the very kingdom of God. ²¹You can see my brothers and sisters, that a balanced diet of the Spirit is essential if we are to become not just Christ’s body, but a healthy and vital body of Christ able to serve and save our broken world.”

Grace – more than a simple capacity to accept and forgive, true grace is a generative and vital spirit of unconditional love and affection that heals all wounds and grievances and opens us to the deepest levels of respect, regard, appreciation, and reverence.

Integrity – alignment of our thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs with the unconditional love and unmerited grace God wishes for all people. Integrity occurs when all our values align with our words and actions, and we eliminate hypocrisy from our lives.

Honesty – the defining quality of true stewards of the mysteries and majesty of God, establishing a trustworthiness where no one can ever doubt the veracity of our word, the virtue of our intentions, or the motivations of our hearts.

Equity – the commitment to fairness and justice in all things with all people in all places at all times so that no one lives in want, fear, insecurity, oppression, or despair.

Humility – ultimate dedication to the welfare and well-being of all other people, viewing others as precious, valued, worthy, beloved children of God, none of less value than any other, especially ourselves.

Conviction – from the purest sense of its original meaning “with proof of intent,” conviction defines our priorities, our values, our purpose, and our motivations. Conviction proves who we belong to – if God, then everyone who ever meets us will know without a doubt God’s love for us and our love for God.

Munificence – assuming the very best about everyone because they are created in the image of God and they contain the spark of Christ, looking for the good in everyone and challenging self and others to live their best self in the world.

Hospitality – a total orientation to serve, to give aid, to comfort, to please, to satisfy, to encourage, to entertain, to celebrate, to applaud, to heal, and to love everyone, especially the stranger, the refugee, the victim, the lonely, and the lost.

Universality – to love everyone God loves with the love of God, filling each and every person we meet with the fruit, the vegetables, and the meat of God’s unlimited, unconditional, unbounded, and eternal Holy Spirit.

So, God has never actually asked me to write any scripture or anything, and there is probably a very good reason for that, but as I meditate on the essential diet of the body of Christ, I can’t help but think that these veggies and meaty comestibles are wonderful complements to the fruit of the Spirit. Don’t be surprised if a “beverages of the Spirit” doesn’t show up once I locate the Epistle to the Macedonians…