Thursday 

Five Senses

Unfortunately, now as then, I still have trouble keeping my subservience to this sense under control.

I've finally started to lose some of my excess weight. In the end I had to face up to the fact that I've been eating more than I needed. Why do we have that urge? What is it that makes food so addictive? Is it just the taste we crave, or the comforting feeling of fullness of the belly, like an infant gorged on mother's milk?

Long after we lose our infant need to rapidly convert food into flesh, we still have that urge to fill our bellies to bursting. We take on reserves of food as though in fear that there might be no more for another mealtime. But there usually is. Muhammad said it was best to leave one third of the stomach empty. The slight emptiness you feel is not hunger, just good health.

And our enjoyment of taste in this world is just a foretaste of one of the Pleasures of Paradise, the fruits of the Garden for our delight. As for my next meal - it will be there. Qur'an reminds us that we are fed by the same One Who feeds the birds. We are all eating together at God's Table.