Jason is a social innovator, writer, speaker, and activist for cultural change in Los Angeles.  He serves with Mosaic, a global NGO passionate about bringing dignity to humanity's spiritual journey and creating communities that unleash human creativity and potential.

Find out more about Mosaic HERE.

Clean Platers

When I was a kid my grandma used to make me eat.  A lot.  I think it was because she was a product of the Great Depression and because she had enough canned goods in her basement to stockpile Poland.  But she would always say the same thing when she gave me food:  “I want you to be a clean plater. ”

Even as an adult, I feel so proud of myself when I can be a clean plater.  I’m a married man, and my wife still laughs at me when she senses my pride that I ate all of the chicken, rice, asparagus or whatever else we’re eating that night.

In 2002 the American Dietetic Association did a study that revealed most Americans think they need to eat more food than they actually do to be healthy, and that serving sizes have gone up dramatically in the past 75 years.

This means we eat too much.  Big surprise.

But this also means that being a clean plater today isn’t the same as being a clean plater when my grandma was 15.  In fact, being a clean plater can be very bad for you.

Yet I was taught to be a clean plater.  And it feels…you know…wrong not to be.  

A few months ago a group of college kids came to our Mosaic gathering in Beverly Hills and wanted to ask me some questions.  

“We go to UCLA and we just want to know if there are any small groups we can be a part of so we can meet other Christians from other colleges at Mosaic.”

Now, these were bright kids.  They were from one of the most prestigious public universities in the world.   I’m sure I should have been excited for them to want to “be a part” of Mosaic.  

So I don’t know if it was my mood (although I think I was having a good day) or what…but I was a little annoyed.

“Hm,” I said.  “Are you lonely?”

They laughed, “No.”

“So you have friends?”

“Yeah,” they said.

“Friends who you talk about God with?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t that what most small groups are?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why would you want to be a part of another one?”

They blinked at me.

So I continued, “Hey, if you want grow in your capacity to risk, or you want to serve the homeless, or you want to be a part of the adventure of investing in people on your campus looking for God, then I would love to help you out.”

They blinked at me again.

So I sighed, “I’m sorry.  I don’t have anything for you.  But here’s my contact info—if you ever need anything, just let me know.”

And I watched them walk away.

These kids were taught to be clean platers.  

What I mean is that these kids were taught to need small groups, church attendance, bible studies and a whole slew of things that are—like eating—good things, but only in the right proportion and only when in combination with other things.  

These UCLA students were taught to eat.  But nobody ever taught them to exercise.  Their appetite for eating was humongous, but their appetite for life, it seemed, was atrophied.

What are we doing in our communities where we create a culture for food but not for health?  Where we create environments to eat but not to enjoy the thrill of living an inspiring life?

I love my grandma.  But she’s wrong:  we don’t need to be clean platers.  

Let’s eat what we need (it’s less than we think), stop asking for more, and give the rest away.