When I go fishing, I like to clean my catch the minute I reel it in.

While some of my fishing buddies think I’m crazy for wasting valuable fishing time by doing this, I find it in line with my desire to cause the least amount of pain and distress for the fish.

It is my intention to prevent any unnecessary suffering while ensuring no part of the fish is wasted. This animal is being sacrificed so that I can eat. The least I can do in return is ensure this sacrifice isn’t trivialized.

Of course, I know I’m in the minority on this one, but that’s OK. There’s no harm in following your own path. Although for those who claim to honor all God’s creatures, it’s worth noting that there is no honor in being disconnected from your food. In fact, I would argue that many of us in the United States are particularly wasteful because of the fact that we are not connected to our food.

If we had to grow, raise, and slaughter our own, I suspect there would be a huge decrease in the amount of food that ends up in the trash.

That being said, the market has enabled most Americans to enjoy the privilege of buying their food without having to get dirty. And this is a good thing. It has allowed for economic efficiencies, convenience, and prosperity. But with this privilege comes responsibility. And this is where we have fallen short.

How did we get here?

By not taking the time to know where our food comes from or how it’s raised, grown or slaughtered, we have become numb to the sanctity of life. We no longer hold food to be sacred, and that in itself is a tragedy of epic proportions.

Most folks spend more time choosing a color for their smartphone cover than they do investigating where their food comes from. And this is really bizarre when you consider that without a smartphone cover, your smartphone could get scuffed up and dirty. But without food, you die.

So how did we get here?

How did we get to this place where aesthetically-pleasing electronics have taken priority over that which fuels are bodies and nourishes our souls? It’s hard to say, but one thing is certain: Any efforts taken to re-connect us to the food we eat should be met with great applause and humble gratitude.