"Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward."
When their weary feet touched the red-earth country of Mount Seir, and they recognized a friendliness in the people living in the shadow of the hill, the Hebrews halted their caravan and pitched their tents with gladness. This land gave them rest, comfort, food, water, and friends. It was far better than the desert with its hunger and thirst. Here they all but forgot the glory that was to be theirs. But one did not forget where the end of the trail lay. The leader knew Mount Seir was not the Land of Promise. The call to bestir themselves and press onward came to Israel in a command which grips the heart: "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward." Deut. 2:3.
God puts another call today—a charge which demands action as verily as did the command of old. It reads, "Health reform educators, Go forward." —Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 113. During the early years, when the health message was in its embryonic stage, the way was hard. It took abundant faith to step out and follow the suggestions given, because the principles set forth were revolutionary. With these radical changes, it is not surprising that those who carried out the teachings met with criticism and even jesting and joking.
Conditions are different today. We have reached Mount Seir. It seems good to fraternize with health educators the world over. Many of the ideas which were "reform" when given are widely accepted health principles now. But have we reached the zenith of progress? Have we arrived? The answer comes, "As we near the close of time, we must rise higher and still higher upon the question of health reform and Christian temperance, presenting it in a more positive and decided manner."—Ibid., vol. 6, p. 112. Evidently there is more to the message than many realize.
It may be that some have gained this higher ground of healthful living in their own lives. This is indeed a worthy attainment, but that is not enough.
"We should educate ourselves, not only to live in harmony with the laws of health, but to teach others the better way. Many, even of those who profess to believe the special truths for this time, are lamentably ignorant with regard to health and temperance. They need to be educated, line upon line, precept upon precept. The subject must be kept fresh before them. This matter must not be passed as nonessential; for nearly every family needs to be stirred up on the question. The conscience must be aroused to the duty of practicing the principles of true refortn. God requires that His people shall be temperate in all things. Unless they practice true temperance, they will not, they cannot, be susceptible to the sanctifying influence of the truth."—Counsels on Health, p. 449.
A fundamental part of the health message is the preparation and use of wholesome, nutritious food. That nutrition is the very foundation of health is becoming more and more recognized. Sir Robert McCarrison states : "Food is the greatest of all factors on which the efficiency of the function of nutrition depends. It is the foundation of health ; chief amongst the armaments of medicine against disease."—British Medical Journal, 2 : 1936, 611. The importance Of a proper diet is not new to Seventh-day Adventists. In 1868 we were told, "A wrong course of eating or drinking destroys health, and with it the sweetness of life."—Testimonies, vol. 2, p..69. One needs only to check the volume of material on diet and foods which came from the pen of inspiration to realize its importance.
Remarkable Advances in Nutrition
The last decade or so has witnessed remarkable advances in the science of nutrition. It is a science which, despite its youth, makes exceptionally broad demands on those who wish to profess it in its entirety. Anyone who expects to present good nutrition successfully to the public must have thorough training. God must have looked ahead to present conditions when He inspired the pen to write:
"It is time that something was done to prevent novices from taking the field and advocating health reform. Their works and words can be spared; for they do more injury than the wisest and most intelligent men, with the best influence they can exert, can counteract."—Ibid., p. 386.
Today as never before there is a need for consecrated workers, well trained in the field of nutrition. The public is susceptible to this type of instruction, and it deserves the best. The possibilities for doing good in this field have been touched with the finger tips only. New phases of the work should be developed, and those already in operation need to be strengthened.
There is a challenge in connection with therapeutic diets that has not been fully met. "It is your duty to maintain the standard of health reform. More can be accomplished for sick people by regulating their diet than by all the baths that can be given them."—Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 408. What more can be done to relieve suffering humanity than is now being done? This is a question that needs to be answered.
"The Lord has a message for our cities, and this message we are to proclaim in our camp meetings and by other public efforts, and also through our publications. In addition to this, hygienic restaurants are to be established in the cities, and by them the message of temperance is to be proclaimed. Arrangements should be made to hold meetings in connection with our restaurants."—Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 515.
If an onlooker judged by what is being done in the cities, he would conclude that we stopped reading after the first sentence. The fault, however, is probably not from a lack of reading, but because no one is properly trained for hygienic restaurant work. This is a missionary work which as yet is practically unentered.
According to our instructions, nutritionists could play an important and helpful role in training both our own people and the public.
"The work of teaching the people how to prepare a dietary that is at once wholesome and appetizing, is of the utmost importance."—/bid., vol. 9, p. 112. "As a people we have been given the work of making known the principles of health reform. There are some who think that the question of diet is not of sufficient importance to be included in their evangelistic work. But such make a great mistake."—Ibid.
It is obvious that one selected to do such work should have a thorough training in food and nutrition, plus an ability to meet the public. Such a work, if properly done, would be an effective calling card, besides being a definite help at this time when the subject of diet is so popular.
If diet reform is to be progressive, research should hold a prominent place. This would furnish valuable, up-to-the-minute material for those out in the field carrying on the educational lines of nutrition. A firmer and more scientific basis could be given for the principles we hold, and new facts could be given the world. Many leads for such work are given in the Spirit of prophecy, and we have much to learn.
If, after a review of the vast possibilities in this field, we were to concentrate our thoughts on the small crew of workers now available, the result would be discouragement. But this must not be, for we are promised that "such a work will yet be done with consecrated zeal and energy."—Ibid., vol. 7, p. 133. This does not mean that we are to sit back complacently and leave it for someone else. Rather, "Let us learn what our duty is, and then do it."—Ibid. We have tarried at Mount Seir long enough. It is time to face northward.