“THE SEVEN DEADLIES: GULA
Text:
March 2008
And now, the sixth of the seven deadlies, and the one I know we’ve all been waiting for: gula, or
gluttony. Before we begin to fill our tummies with at least three helpings of this deadly sin which is
sometimes gauged in inches, I’d like us to munch on a few words about gluttony written by Geoffrey
Chaucer in “The Pardoner’s Tale:” O cursed Gluttony,
our first distress! Cause of our first
confusion,
first temptation, The very origin of our damnation..... Gluttony has corrupted all the
earth. Adam, and his wife as well, from Paradise to labour and to Hell.
Were driven for that vice,
they were
indeed..... O Gluttony, it is to thee we
owe our grief! O if we knew the maladies
that
follow on
excess and gluttonies, Sure we would diet, we would tempt our pleasure, In
sitting down
at table, show some measure!”
1700 years before Chaucer was born, King Solomon is believed to have written these words in
Proverbs 23: “When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you, and put a
knife to your throat if
you are given to gluttony..... Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on
meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes
them in rags.”
Then there is a text from Isaiah I’d like to read for you now. This passage has been called by Old
Testament scholar Christopher Seitz an “oracle” or prophetic vision of woe directed to the Northern
Kingdom of Israel, and to its capital of Samaria. The prophet is speaking out specifically against the
excesses of lifestyle which typified the political and religious leadership of Israel. The rich and
powerful of the day were concerned primarily with satiating their ravenous appetites for food, drink,
and every other earthly pleasure, while ignoring their responsibilities of spiritual leadership of the
people. More than that, the Jewish aristocrats were deceiving themselves, arrogantly overconfident in
their past glories. The prophet declares that Samaria and its people were about to be swept away by
an invading Assyrian army. The “garland” of their past glory would fade, while the true garland of
glory would be in the righteous judgment of the Lord, perhaps pointing a the coming Redeemer who
would re-gather His people, and restore justice in the land.
(Read Isaiah 28:1-6)
While these passages - both secular and sacred -
declare great maxims about the sixth of the seven
deadlies, a misconception they might perpetuate is that gluttony pertains only to excess of food and drink.
If only it were that simple. The truth is, some people can’t have enough.... toys, television, entertainment,
sex, company, in short...... pleasure. Gluttony is about excess of anything. Such excesses led the nation of
Israel into a tragic chapter in their national history. Such excesses can lead any of us into chapters of our
lives we would certainly not want to have written.
As promised, here are at least three small helpings – three forms – of the deadly sin called gluttony.
First, wanting more pleasure from something than it was intended to give. Consider all the good things
our world is full of – the beauty of the stars, the ever-changing while never-changing oceans, the warmth
of sunshine, the pleasure of human company, a “Cameo burger” from the Cameo Grill, or a chocolate
cream stick from Liebermann’s Bakery. We are basically free to enjoy these things without becoming
overly-focused on any one of them to the exclusion of all else. It is possible, however, even all too easy to
become so caught up in a particular pleasure – whether food or fun – that we begin to lose our enjoyment of
other things, and would be willing to sacrifice other pleasures for the one. This lies at the root of much
obsessive and addictive behavior which often starts out quite innocently.
We fall into the sin, or develop the attitude, of gluttony when we demand more pleasure from something
than it was made for. With regard to food, normally we can only eat so much of it. But there is tale of
those in ancient Rome who wanted more pleasure from food, so they threw up after the meal, and then ate
another helping. This gluttonous practice allowed them to enjoy eating more at the cost of health, and I
suppose at the cost of dignity.
Second, wanting it exactly our way (and I say that with all deference to Burger King). In “The
Screwtape Letters,” C. S. Lewis describes “delicacy” as a desire to have things exactly the way we want
them, every time. He gives the example of food having to be prepared at just the right temperature, in just
the right amount, with just the right appearance. But it isn’t limited to food. This form of gluttony might
complain about unimportant defects in a product, the climate in a room, the color of a laundry basket, the
softness of a pillow..... every time. There is a certain amount of discomfort to be expected in life. But one
in the grip of a gluttonous attitude will have none of it. Instead of being “toughened up” by suffering the
minor inconveniences of life, the glutton insists on being pampered..... every time. Funny that rarely does
anyone dare point out how petty or foolish they are. The Hollywood culture, which I’m sorry to say has a
great influence on our popular
culture, much as the aristocracy of Israel had great influence its
culture, wears
gluttony like a badge of honor; celebrities being lauded, praised, and paid for their excessive perfectionism
and super-gluttonous lifestyles as though this is some kind of virtue. It is not.
Third, demanding too much from people. There can and should be healthy and natural enjoyment of
time spent with loved ones, friends and acquaintances. But some people just can’t seem to get enough.
They make demands until the other person moves away or explodes in frustrated anger. The one in the
clutches of a gluttonous attitude is then grievously wounded that someone would take offense at their
affection and attention. At least some people can get away from such a glutton. Far worse when a parent
demands too much from a child – all their time, every imaginable accomplishment, good behavior beyond
reasonable expectation, all this from someone too small to grant so many pleasures, and not even put on
earth for that reason. In some dating, and in no small number of marital relationships, one person desires
the other’s company constantly to the point that the other can’t even live a normal life. We sometimes refer
to such a relationship as “suffocating.” The legitimate pleasure of company can become obsessive to the
point that all other pleasures are lost, and all other relationships compromised. This can certainly be deadly
to relationships, and to the parties within them.
The good news is that the sixth deadly sin in these three forms tends to be self-corrective. Because these
are generally “sins of the flesh,” the flesh limits it. If we consume too much food or drink, our body usually
lets us know, either by the “the tale of the tape” and “the tip of the scale,” or by the onset of illness. If we
are too fussy about things, our delicacy will eventually be met by people telling us to “do it yourself.” If we
demand too much from others, they will flee from us, and we will find ourselves alone more often. Through
these things, we usually get a view of the problem, and a chance to change it.
I would suggest that the sin of gluttony, while one of the easiest to slip into, just may be the easiest to
overcome. It lies in deliberately reducing our use of pleasurable things, not in eliminating them (provided \
they are moral, ethical, safe and
legal). The virtues
which stands over against gluttony are quite simply
moderation and balance. So for instance, when eating, quit before feeling stuffed. When snacking, don’t
feel you have to empty the bag or box. With people you like and love, allow some quiet time together, and
also get some time alone. If time alone becomes your consuming pleasure, get out more often. Last, but not
least, if the toast is a bit too brown or the steak a bit too well-done, eat it anyway.