Health retreat anyone? Who wouldn’t love to unwind for three days and dedicate time to his/her physical health—healthy food, exercise classes directed by experts, massages, nature walks, swimming in waterfalls. I was recently invited to such a retreat held in a jungle camp in the tropical part of Mexico; just a short walk from the beach! The attendee limit was 25 people and the cost for each participant was rather steep, but I was invited for free! In exchange, the organizers asked me to oversee the preparation of vegan meals. I was also asked to give a daily 30-minute talk on veganism and healthy lifestyle to the guests. How could I refuse?
The retreat was a secular event. I was to be a part of a four-member team of instructors: two yoga instructors, and a gym trainer, and my task was to share my knowledge of veganism. The organizers knew that I do not consume animal products; hence they declared me an expert in the field. I don’t have any formal education in health sciences, so I decided to share the Adventist health message that has stood the test of time.
As I was contemplating what specifically to share with the group, I decided the first presentation would be on the five blue zones (see map). Blue zones are areas of the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. I mentioned that one such blue zone is the town of Loma Linda, California. Why was Loma Linda included on the blue zone list? The reason is simple: Most of its residents are Seventh-day Adventists who live the health message that our church has followed for 150 years.
I delivered the presentation and at the end I asked if anyone had heard of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Out of the 25 attendees, only one person knew that such a church exists. To say that I was surprised is an understatement. Seriously? Only one person? Not a good testimony for our church.
Yoga Instructor
Shortly after the presentation, one of the yoga instructors approached me and wanted to know more about the Adventist diet. I explained that veganism is not a test of fellowship; however, church members are to abstain from tobacco, alcohol, any illegal drugs, and do not consume animals that are listed in the Bible (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) as unfit for human consumption.
This instructor looked at me surprised. He had never heard of such a list of animals in the Bible. So, he pulled out his phone and googled the list. He read everything carefully and then we had about a 15-minute conversation on the subject. I explained that this Biblical dietary guide was given to the ancient Israel as a biological protection. They were not to suffer from the diseases and infections of their neighboring nations. Most Christians today claim that this prohibition was for the Jews only and doesn’t apply to us. Since it was for their biological protection, do non-Jews have a superior digestive tract? I left it as an open question.
This man exclaimed: “Yes, it makes a perfect sense. I’m convinced; I’ll never touch such meats again!” “Wow, that was easy,” I thought to myself. I had never witnessed such a quick conviction. This instructor’s actual profession is a food engineer, perhaps that contributed to his quick understanding.
We made friends and exchanged contact information. A week later I received a message from him. He confided to me that he has lots of overweight family members, suffering from diabetes and myriads of health issues. Just three days prior, his sister prepared a pork dish and got food poisoning. She didn’t learn her lesson, and is still cooking pork, which is quite discouraging to my new friend. He attempted to help her and also enlighten his family, but they were not open to it. It was apparent that he felt a bit down. “What shall I do?” he asked. All I could say was to lead by example and he’s the best light his family can have. Given his family history, his health and fitness are certainly a testimony. Imagine, this man isn’t even a Christian!
Gym Instructor
Unbeknownst to me, another instructor also looked up the Adventist church on the Internet. The next day he said to me: “I can’t believe a church has achieved something like this. Pretty incredible. Do you have access to the Adventist church? Is it open to the public? Can you take me?” After the retreat was over, we visited an Adventist bookstore in the city of Guadalajara. Since he already has all kinds of books on healthy living, I recommended the books Counsels on Diet and Foods and The Ministry of Healing by Ellen G. White to him so that he could learn about the beginnings of the health message. He was thrilled.
Be an Authentic Christian
Our role as Christians is not to convert people. Our role is to plant seeds. Only the Holy Spirit can convert hearts. So, what can we do for hungry souls around us? Two things:
Be authentic. Be firm in your principles and stand up for them. People will notice and will look up to you as you’ve never dreamed before. New opportunities to share your faith will arise without asking for it.
Share love with people. Is someone around you going through a tough time? Offer a hug, a strong shoulder, be a good listener. Has someone around you spiritually fallen? Leave any criticism at home. Instead, offer compassion and point the person to God’s grace.
As I attended the Sabbath School lately, the Sabbath school teacher shared that he has a hard time sharing the gospel with his coworkers. He’s just not ready. I thought, seriously? There is no need to preach anything. Our life is the most powerful sermon we can deliver. If we attend a church and at the same time don’t live a Christian life, then sure, our lives won’t impact anyone. But if we live authentically as Christians, people around us will notice and will ask questions themselves. May the Lord help us to be close to Him daily. Then, we will be witnesses for Christ without trying.
“A noble life is the most powerful sermon in favor of Christianity. If we would live such a life, our consciences must be quickened by continual contact with the word of God. Our souls must be familiar with the heavenly standard, and we must avoid every course that diverges from the right.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 303