Fat World

My daughter has taken a new job working for Fat Uncle Farms. They a small company in Santa Barbara selling amazing almonds and products made from those almonds and are looking to expand into other areas. They have a wonderful commitment to local production, building community, and providing for their employees. Alexis will be working to expand the business into the bay area and is excited about the possibility.

There is a great deal of talk these days about the growth (pun not intended) of obesity in the United States but also around the world. With good reason, fat has gotten a lot of bad press recently. That is not what I want to talk about here and it is not the way Fat Uncle uses the term.

Historically, "fat" was often seen as a good thing and in many cultures being overweight was a sign of status. In the days before fast food and processed foods with tons of empty calories, ordinary people didn't have access to enough food to gain excess weight. In that setting, fat equaled opulence and was symbolic of inequality in a world of scarcity. I don't want to go there either.

Instead, let me use the word the way Fat Uncle does, as a metaphor. They talk about a "fat world," one filled with abundance rather than scarcity, one with enough for all, one that is good and rich and full. A fat world is one where there is more than enough of everything important. They talk about "fat truth..." the idea that there is more than enough revealed to build bridges between people, to find our way to a better world, to begin to address the important problems we face. Fat Uncle's farm grows wonderful almonds, provides jobs, and builds community... all given from a creation rich, abundant, and available.

As a follower of Jesus, this strikes me as good theology. The grace and love of God is always more than adequate. Indeed, God's gifts are extravagant. I'm even tempted to change my blog title from Thin Places to Fat Faith...