No to gluttony

By Anne Anjao-Eboi

Food is yummy and any healthy person enjoys good food. We must fill our hunger pangs. We love it especially when it is foods such as pilau, fried chicken, pizza, French fries, shrimps and the like. Food is good not just for the taste, but also for our growth and health. No one can survive without food in whichever form.

The problem lies in gluttony. I subscribe to the belief that your stomach is used to the quantity of food you give it. For instance, if you are used to half a loaf of bread for breakfast, the day you get two slices, you will obviously say they are not enough.

Ran a restaurant

I recall a time when an enterprising man ran a restaurant in Deira. He opted to serve buffets at a reasonable cost but regretted this after a few trials. Some heavily built men became his most frequent customers. Clearly, there would be no profits.

While enjoying a meal here one day, I was drawn to a commotion at the serving bay. The young man was asking these men whether they really needed mountains of food. Apparently, they would serve overflowing plates not once, not twice but three times and over.

Equally disturbing are those who serve mountains of food at buffets then leave most of it untouched. At the time they are serving, they think they are so hungry and can consume the whole world.

Gluttony is a sin according to the good book. There are repercussions for over-eating. We are commanded not to join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Further, we are advised to put a knife to our throats if we are given to gluttony should we be dining with a ruler.

So, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, let us do it for the glory of God.