Knowing God Like You Can Taste Him

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Our discussion on food metaphors for God got me thinking about my own experiences 'tasting God.' In Fulton's text, he describes direct interpretation of God through taste as "knowing God like you can taste him." I've always understood food as fundamentally social, and eating at and in church growing up was a social activity. I never thought much about "tasting God", but I did it every Sunday. 

 I agree with the idea of "Sapere"from the Song of Songs in that tasting, seeing and hearing can be interpreted as knowing. The only way we acquire knowledge is through our senses. With that said, it makes sense why the tradition of communion is integral to some religions. 

 If taste truly is the most intimate of our senses, it's no surprise that eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ would instill a level of knowing God. But food offerings for God come in many shapes and sizes and communion is just one way of expressing a devotion to God.

 Meals centered around holidays can also be seen as a devotion or celebration of God. While not every family that celebrates Chanukah with a feast or Passover with a seder is necessarily celebrating God or anything religious, the meal itself exists because of a religious occurrence. Food is fundamentally social and whether or not its in a church or around the dinner table, it is a ritual that we partake in. Communion is both a devotion and a ritual where we taste God. Obviously, there are many other sensory forms of "knowing God" in a religious context as Fulton puts it. Hearing, smelling, touch and sight are all fundamental in knowing God. 

-Stuart MacLean


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