A Reflection by Tams Nicholson, OFS

Audience: Faith-based People

Why You as a Christian Should Consider Ethical Veganism as a Lifestyle - Part I

July 2025, by Tams Nicholson, OFS and Executive Director of All-Creatures.org

Reflection Guide

Scripture for Meditation:

Genesis 1:29, Mark 12:31, Romans 12:1

Good morning, friends. Thank you for allowing me to share this time with you. I speak to you today not just as a person who’s lived as an ethical vegan for 18 years, but as a fellow believer who strives daily to walk in the love and compassion of Christ. Many of us are deeply committed to our faith—we seek to honor God in all we do. But one area we may not have considered is how our food choices reflect—or contradict—that calling. Ethical veganism is not just about what we eat. It's about how we live as followers of Christ, how we embody mercy, stewardship, and love.

Genesis 1:29 gives us God’s original dietary guidance: "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed... and every tree, in the which is the fruit... to you it shall be for meat." That was the Edenic diet—a peaceful, nonviolent way of living. It was only after the fall, when sin entered the world, that humans began consuming animals. And still, nowhere does God command us to harm.

When Jesus walked the Earth, He called us to love not only our neighbors but our enemies. He elevated compassion as a defining trait of discipleship. Ethical veganism is an extension of that love—it’s a refusal to harm when harm is not necessary.

Today, billions of animals suffer in ways that are hidden from view. And our culture tells us it’s normal, even necessary. But as people of faith, we are called to rise above cultural norms when they contradict God’s heart.

Choosing an ethical vegan lifestyle isn’t about being perfect. It’s about doing the least possible harm possible in every area of our lives. It’s about taking a stand for mercy. It’s about living more gently on the Earth, caring for our health, stewarding God’s creation, and loving all life as sacred.

So I invite you—prayerfully, lovingly—to consider: what if following Jesus more closely included aligning our lifestyles with mercy for all of creation? What if we returned, in part, to Eden—not only in spirit but in practice? Thank you.

Amen?
 
Amen.

Key Takeaway:

Ethical veganism reflects a return to God's original vision for peace, compassion, and mercy.

Heart Questions:

Does my current lifestyle reflect God's call to compassion?

How does my treatment of animals align with my love for Jesus?

Journaling Prompt:

Reflect on how “returning to Eden” could shape your life and relationships.

Action Step:

Try one vegan meal this week and offer it as an act of peace.

Closing Prayer:

God of mercy and life, help me to live in a way that reflects Your love to all creation.

Return to: Tuesday with Tams