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Intro
We begin by quoting the Bible, in the first Book, which states:
Then GOD said, “Behold, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the wild animals, to all the birds in the sky, and to every creature that moves along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. GOD saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
(Genesis 1:29–31)
In the beginning, the human being was created to live in harmony with nature and with all living creatures. GOD, in the perfection of His work, did not ordain either man or beast to violence or to domination for the sake of survival. Every seed-bearing herb, every tree bearing fruit, every green plant—everything was providentially arranged to be nourishment. It is written that all GOD had made was “very good”—a statement that leaves no room for interpretations of chaos, cruelty, or suffering.
Yet over the millennia, humanity has gradually strayed from this original model. Sin, greed, and an insatiable hunger for domination have led man to exploit every resource, including the creatures that once were his companions in the Garden.
And it is precisely in returning to that origin that a new awareness begins to dawn:
To be vegetarian is not merely a trend of the present, but a return to the eternal order.
It is the past—and it is also the future.
The Time of Return: Walking Toward Original Harmony
I recall with a smile and a touch of irony the words of Saint Augustine:
“Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo.”
“Grant me chastity and self-control, O Lord—but not yet.”
In the same spirit, I too confess:
“Please, GOD, make me a vegetarian… but not yet.”
Not because of a lack of will or faith, but because we recognize that the path to full harmony with the Creator and Creation is a process, and every process requires time, grace, and discernment.
This idea of mine is deeply in line with the fundamental concept of Pathway in general, a process that I am also trying to structure in my books: three books, for three different “times”:
PAST: “Pilgrimage: Thoughts from Cassino to Jerusalem“ – representing the past, already published, a journey of memory, searching, and rediscovery of roots.
PRESENT: “Jerusalem: Omens of the First World Peace” – representing the present, still in the making, just like our consciences, ever in transformation.
FUTURE: “Eschatology: Visions of eternity” – looking toward the future, to what is to come—or better yet, to what shall return.
In a certain sense, the beginning and the end are the same point in a sacred and infinite circle. And in this circle, the return to a pure, respectful, and therefore vegetarian diet proves to be not only desirable, but inevitable.
So this process is not only intended to improve physical health, even though it has now been proven that a plant-based diet contributes to longevity and well-being, but it is also an ethical and spiritual issue. In a world where animals are exploited in an industrial and inhumane way, vegetarianism appears as an act of peaceful resistance, respect for life, and reconciliation with the divine plan.
Our task is not to force evolution, but to listen to it. Not to impose a choice, but to rediscover it within us, like an ancient voice calling us back—to simplicity, to goodness, to the original harmony.
To be vegetarian is the future—because it is also the past.
And for many of us, the time has come.
For others, it is near.
But for all, the call is the same:
“I give you every herb… it shall be your food.”
And it was very good.
Conclusions
This vision of returning to original purity is not merely a personal ideal, but lies at the very heart of the three Abrahamic religions, all of which recognize Creation as a sacred and harmonious act, and mercy as the supreme virtue.
The prophet Isaiah, in his eschatological vision, foretells a future time when even the predatory instincts of nature will be transfigured by peace:
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together,
and a little child shall lead them. […]
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all My holy mountain,
for the knowledge of the LORD will fill the earth
as the waters cover the sea.”
(Isaiah 11:6–9)
The Qur’an, in several verses, also describes a Paradise in which man is neither threatened nor threatening, but lives in bliss alongside nature and all creatures, in a state of salām (peace) that begins in the heart and radiates throughout all creation.
And in the Talmud, the sages reflect upon a Messianic era in which meat will no longer be necessary, for the world itself will return to its perfect and peaceful form.
At the heart of Abrahamic faith lies a promise: the promise of a renewed world—not conquered by force, but restored through justice, mercy, and the knowledge of GOD.
To be vegetarian, then, is not merely a dietary choice—it is a foretaste of the Kingdom to come. A silent yet powerful testimony, offered by those who have understood that true peace also begins with what one chooses not to kill.
May our journey—still imperfect, yet rightly oriented—be received by the LORD with mercy, for to return to the origin is also to move forward toward fulfillment.