I come from a land where June is a pretty important month. That place isn’t the “land of milk and honey,” but rather just the land of milk. I’m from America’s Dairyland, the paradise known as Wisconsin. And in Wisconsin, June is dairy month.
For 30 days in the Badger State, there are celebrations in every county. They have special breakfasts on local farms, there are parades, and there’s even a pageant to crown an “Alice in Dairyland” the month before the festivities begin. And when you consider that “Wisconsin dairy generates more than $45.6 billion to Wisconsin’s economy – more than the combined total of Florida citrus and Idaho potatoes,” it’s easy to see why.
In other words, lactose is legendary in the state.
So why am I extolling the virtues of dairy? Because as I think about the physical milk I grew up drinking straight from the cow (yes, that’s actually true), around this time of year I’m always reminded about spiritual milk as well. And just like Wisconsin wants to remind us of the benefits of that physical milk, I want to remind us of the benefits of that spiritual milk.
Listen, it’s true that the biblical writer Paul used milk as an analogy for the more basic teachings of Christianity. “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it,” he says in 1 Corinthians 3. And I think it’s important that we strive to grow from spiritual babies to spiritual adults who can eat solid food.
But…
I don’t think we’re meant to disparage spiritual milk. In fact, I think we’re actually called to remember how important the milk is. How do I know this? Because even though Paul encourages us to eat the solid food, he still reminds us of the milk; he’s consistently laying out the foundations of the Gospel throughout his writing. That’s exactly what he does in Romans 1. He calls us to remember the basic tenets of the faith. Why? Because there is value in remembering those things, those foundational truths that form the building blocks of everything else.
Here’s my point: As we grow physically, we graduate from milk to solid food. But even as adults we still enjoy physical milk with our meals, right? We still dunk our cookies in milk and we still use milk to create other incredible recipes. Milk isn’t just forgotten once we can start eating peas, carrots, and chicken.
It’s the same thing spiritually.
Yes, we are told that our goal is to eat “solid” spiritual food. But that doesn’t mean we forget completely about spiritual milk. We can still drink it, we can still use it, we still need it.
So this June — this dairy month — I want you to remember the importance of spiritual milk. I want you to drink it, to use it, to savor it. While solid food is important, don’t forget the milk of the Gospel that still sustains us.
Because here’s the truth: there’s no room for lactose intolerance in the spiritual realm.
(Pic: My daughter participating in a Dairy Month “Breakfast on the farm” event several years ago during a visit back home to Wisconsin.)
Thanks for the validation Jon, I certainly needed this right now. ❤🙏🙏❤
J, this one both challenged and inspired me. Going through a rougher patch spiritually and might just need to focus more on 'milk'