(箴言 15:17)
“吃素菜，彼此相愛，強如吃肥牛，彼此相恨。”
這是一組非常鮮明的對比。在古代希伯來文化中，「素菜」代表非常簡單的物質生活，並不豐裕；而「相愛」則是指一種盟約式的、非常親密的關係。想像一下，大家同桌吃飯，雖然只有簡單的菜餚，但每個人之間的關係都非常緊密。這真是令人身心舒暢，溫馨無限。
相對地，「肥牛」在當時的社會是非常昂貴、豐盛的筵席，就像現在我們吃和牛或打邊爐一樣。然而，如果席間大家「彼此相恨」，那種冷漠、勾心鬥角，甚至皮笑肉不笑的虛偽，即便桌上擺滿珍饈百味，那又如何。
這教導我們，人生的價值觀不應追求物質上的豐盛，而應追求人與人之間那種緊密的愛。
要做到這點，我們首先要對準神。如果沒有神的愛，我們很難去愛身邊的人。當我們被神的愛充滿，自然能與他人保持彼此相愛的關係，這時吃什麼都變得不重要了。
(Proverbs 15:17)
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”
This is a set of very vivid contrasts. In ancient Hebrew culture, herbs represented a very simple material life, one that was not affluent; whereas love referred to a covenantal, deeply intimate relationship. Imagine everyone sitting at the same table for a meal; although there are only simple dishes, the relationship between every person is very close. This truly brings comfort to the body and soul, offering boundless warmth.
In contrast, a stalled ox represented a very expensive and sumptuous feast in the society of that time, much like how we might enjoy Wagyu beef or hot pot today. However, if everyone at the table hates one another, that kind of coldness, intrigue, and even the hypocrisy of a hollow smile makes it matter little, even if the table is spread with the finest delicacies.
This teaches us that our values in life should not be focused on pursuing material abundance, but rather on seeking that close-knit love between people.
To achieve this, we must first align ourselves with God. Without God’s love, it is difficult for us to love those around us. When we are filled with God’s love, we can naturally maintain a relationship of mutual love with others, and at that point, what we eat becomes unimportant.
