Each day we are bombarded with messages, many of which we ignore, but our ignorance can have grave consequences.
Across Europe, a number of what scientists are calling ‘hunger stones’ are being exposed in river beds because of unusually hot weather and drought like conditions.1 But it’s not just the presence of these stones that is alarming; it’s the messages written on them that foreshadow grave consequences. Many of the stones carry dire messages of famine, hardship and devastation ahead. “If you see me, weep” reads one of the stones, and with it carries years of hardship and countless stories of loss and heartache.
When I first heard of these hunger stones, I was intrigued and as I always do, I brought it back to human health and asked, “What can we learn about our health from these hunger stones?” I began considering the hunger stones that may lurking in our own bodies; those signs and symptoms that carry grave messages of impending doom or struggle ahead. In many ways, the health of the human race mimics the health of our planet. As humans, we are challenged with environmental toxicities, increasing levels of stress and poor lifestyles that are shifting the outward expression of our genes resulting in widespread symptoms of chronic disease. Just look around, we are all expressing our own form of hunger stones with hidden messages not just specific to ourselves, but to the human race in general.
These body hunger stones as I will refer to them, look like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor sleep, irritability, skin issues, headaches, heartburn and countless more. None of these conditions in and of themselves are deadly, but over time and layered on top of other conditions these symptoms change the physical and chemical structure of the body and increase the risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer. For many of us, these symptoms carry grave warnings—either you do something about your health or you expect to experience the consequences.
I was having a conversation with someone last week and they were expressing how difficult it is to live a healthy lifestyle. They just weren’t sure they could do it and they were poking fun at the healthcare practitioners who made the recommendation. After the conversation I thought more about what was said and I can’t help but think that this is exactly the kind of thinking that plagues so many of us and the reason why more and more of these hunger stones are being revealed. Every decision has a consequence; thus, you need to choose wisely—no one promised it was going to be easy and in fact if you are seeing these ‘hunger stones’ in your life, you can guarantee it’s going to be hard.
But I don’t want to leave you with a message of doom and gloom; I want to inspire you to do something about it. The hunger stones are only warning signs—the doom and gloom they predict can be prevented with a change in your lifestyle. And when it comes to the health of our planet, the best thing you can do is first focus on YOU. When you take care of yourself, think differently about what goes into and on your body, you will ultimately begin to make better choices for the planet. We are called to take care of this planet, just as we are to take care of our bodies. They are temples that house the Holy Spirit—the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from his deathbed! So, remember the next time you see hunger stones in your life, recognize them for what they are and do something about them. Act as if your life depends on it, because it does.
Numbers 35:34 “You shall not defile the land in which you live”
Leave a Reply