Got Milk?

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:1-5 ESV). “Got Milk?” was an American advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of cow’s milk, which was created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein and Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993 and later licensed for use by milk processors and dairy farmers. It launched in 1993 with the now-famous "Aaron Burr" television commercial, directed by Michael Bay. The national campaign, run by MilkPEP (Milk Processor Education Program) added the "got milk?" logo to its Milk Mustache ads beginning in 1995. These ads were some of the most recognized of their time. I suppose it was both a way to sell more milk and to encourage people in a healthier lifestyle. The widely held notion of “you are what you eat” is one that is popular, though it really doesn’t have any scientific basis. I did a little research. Consider the following: The Japanese eat a low fat diet and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans, yet the French eat a high fat diet and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Similarly, the Japanese drink little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans, while the Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Apparently, diet isn’t the main culprit. Actually, some have suggested (read with extreme sarcasm) that the culprit may be speaking the English language! However, Scripture seems to indicate that, at least in a spiritual sense, we are what we eat. Peter tells us to put away all sorts of sins and to crave pure spiritual milk. The first three beatitudes, which we read yesterday, tell us to empty ourselves of our self-centeredness, of our intellectual, emotional, and social pride. Only then will we be truly hungry and ready for spiritual milk, for righteousness. While I am not suggesting that merely reading the Scripture will make you spiritually healthy. In fact, some of the most devout atheists are excellent Biblical scholars. However, I am insisting that in order to know the mind and will of God the best source is the Scripture. If you want to behave in a manner that accurately reflects the character and person of Christ, the Scripture is your only source worth your time. Set aside some time each week for some serious Bible study.