Edible Book Day

Every day is a holiday. No, really, it’s true: there are numerous sites on the Internet that tell you which holidays are being celebrated on any given date. April 7, for example, is World Health Day, National Burrito Day, and National No Housework Day. If you have a cause or favorite hobby, there’s likely a day already set aside to celebrate it.

I just came across one that piqued my interest: Edible Book Day. It sounds like something Willie Wonka might have invented, but Beatrice Coron and Judith A. Hoffberg came up with the idea over a Thanksgiving Day dinner. On April 1, 2000 the first observance of Edible Book Day was held.

There is a website for those who want to know more, including a gallery of photos of food that has been created to resemble books (or scrolls!), or familiar content in famous books. One person designed a cake with an iconic illustration from a Nancy Drew mystery; another had a more elaborate creation of the Gutenberg press; a large atlas-like cake is pictured showing a map of the world; and one “book” is entitled “S’more and Peace”. (Chew on that title for a moment!)

In the Book of Revelation John was shown a vision of a mighty angel descending from heaven, and in his hand was an open little book. John was told to take the book from the angel, and then “eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth” (Revelation 10:1-9). John did so, and his stomach indeed became bitter. He was then told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” (Revelation 10:11).

John’s experience was similar to what happened to the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah wrote, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Ezekiel reported that the Lord commanded him to “eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:1).

Let’s be clear: Those instances of “edible books” in the Bible are not meant to be understood literally. It was God’s way of telling the prophets (John, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) to internalize the message they were to carry to others. Once the message was inside them, they could more effectively do what God commanded them to do.

Does God expect you and me to eat His word? In a sense, yes. That’s the message of 1 Peter 2:2,3: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Just as an infant cries out for – demands! – their milk, so should Christians be relentless in their pursuit of spiritual nourishment. Note again the reason for devouring the word of God: “that you may grow”. Without milk a baby can’t grow.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” God said in Hosea 4:6. The same principle applies today. Spiritual malnourishment is a dangerous condition that will be fatal if allowed to progress. Thankfully we can do something to prevent it.

So let’s all take a helping of God’s word, the Bible, and feast upon it!

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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