If you had a conversation about anime or tv with me in 2024 (or maybe just in general) I talked about how much I enjoyed season 1 of Delicious in Dungeon. The Netflix anime was one of the surprise entertainment highlights of my year. I initially started it thinking it could be something to connect with my daughter over (she at one point wanted to be a chef) and ended up just absolutely loving it for myself.
A group of adventurers begin the series by losing a battle against a dragon, because they are distracted by hunger. It’s almost comical as a way to begin the series. An epic battle is taking place. Beautiful animation. Fierce combat. Yet the protagonist (Laios) is having an internal monologue about how hungry he is. He is so distracted by the hunger that he fails to see that his is about to be eaten himself by the dragon they are battling. In a last-minute sacrificial act, his sister Falin pushes him out of the way. This places her in the bite of the dragon. If saving her brother wasn’t enough, her last act is to send her whole party back to the surface to keep them safe.
And the whole premise of the show exists in this, get back down to the dragon, because if they can reach the dragon and defeat it before Falin is fully digested, she can be brought back. The problem they face though is that it’s a long journey back down and they have a dwindling party, no money, and no food.
Which put them in no better place than when they started. As Laios states, “We almost died today because we were so hungry after all.”
“We need to eat.” - Marcille.
The adventurers of the series find themself in the place of many people, not just physically, but also spiritually. In 25 years of ministry, one of the things I've constantly heard is people discussing, complaining about, or praising their own spiritual nutrition. When someone isn’t happy with the preaching or direction of a church, they often times say “I’m just not being fed.” If the sermons don’t have enough scripture, they are “Watered down.” The one thing I always go back to, is that a shepherd feeds a sheep by showing them where the food is, and providing an environment for them to eat. You won’t see a shepherd spoon-feeding grass to a field of sheep. If you attend a church weekly for an average of 1 hour. That’s 52 hours out of 8760 hours in a year (Or 525,600 minutes if you’re a theatre kid). If that’s your sole source of soul nutrition, then you are desperately malnourished.
We as believers need to realize that, like our dungeon adventurers, we are responsible to feed ourselves. We have access to more spiritual content than ever before. The Bible (which is essential), books, devotionals, podcasts, online sermons, music, community groups, discord, and a million other access points. Oftentimes, if we are spiritually malnourished, it’s not because we lack options. It’s because we can at times be lazy and prioritize preference and convenience over making an effort to utilize what we’ve been given.
Laios, Marcille, and Chilchuck don’t have money or food. But what they do have is a dungeon full of resources. They may not be attractive or even the preference. But they have resources. A whole underground labyrinth full of potentially edible creatures.
Laios states; “We're going to get all of our food from the dungeon." Which of course is upsetting to the rest of his party, but their options are limited.
Marcille chimes in; “So that’s it then? We’re really eating monsters?” She goes on to comment that people who eat monsters; “They’re always sick from food poisoning and blowing chunks from both ends.”
When their party first tries to feed themselves off of a walking mushroom, it’s not the best experience. But then they encounter Senshi. A dwarven chef and warrior who instructs them on how to properly prepare what they’ve got and how to be nourished from it. Because sometimes you have what you need, you just don’t know how to use it. Through the adventurers' travels, Senshi’s skills in food preparation are truly life giving and lifesaving.
People can often struggle with scripture because they don’t know how to read it. They start in Genesis and get bogged down. They start in Matthew and get lost by the genealogies. While it is all beneficial, knowing how to use it greatly helps.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
While shepherds don’t spoon feed sheep, showing people how to properly feed themselves a big important step in the process. There’s no concrete way you “have to” do it, but I will share some recommendations. Almost always I recommend reading at least 1 chapter at a time, more than a morsel but still digestible. Then from that point you can detour in different ways. There’s kind of a standard detective method of asking; “Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?” to the passage you read.
Who wrote this, and who was it written to?
Questions like that help you solidly grasp context.
What was the purpose of this writing?
Seeing the purpose helps clearly put pieces together and use the text properly.
Where does this take place geographically & socially?
Knowing what is going on around the people writing and receiving this scripture will help with understanding of culture and context.
When was this written?
The Bible is not written as one linear story and chronologically it can be confusing if you don’t know where things fit within the timeline of history and scripture.
Why is this important?
This one may not be clear without an understanding of the other questions and context that crosses over multiple books and sections within the Bible. Which is why continual study will always help foundationally with what you’ve read and will read.
How do I apply this?
Everything you read should have an application point. Something you can learn from and apply to how you live your life and your walk with God. Keeping that question before you as you read can be a huge help.
A different study method, and one I'm currently using, is the H.E.A.R. method.
Read a chapter.
H - Highlight the verse that stands out to you the most for your own personal impact. Write that verse out by hand (mine is in a journal).
E- Explain what the verse means in your own words. Being able to do this shows that you’ve given thought and consideration to it, not just let it pass right over you.
A - Apply the verse to your life. Take the time to write how you can practically apply this to your life in a real way. Even if it’s just something to consider or allow to change something internally.
R- Respond to God. Pray using the insight from what you just read and applied and pray with that concept in mind.
There will be so many ways you can do it, but once you grasp how to read and dig into it, there will be no reason for you to go spiritually hungry again.
Once you’ve begun to consistently feed yourself, then you can move on to the quality and concentration of what you are taking in. During the adventure with the Mandrakes, Marcille becomes envious of some of the other adventurer's “normal” food.
Senshi responds with a culinary critique; “It's horrible. Breaks my heart to see it. These days the diets of young adventurers is a travesty. They only eat bread, dried meats, and wine. Look, I get it, exploring dungeons takes stamina, which you build by eating fatty meat. But fat ain’t enough. Malnutrition is the real monster here.”
One of the reasons that I suggest doing a whole chapter a day is so you get the potential for better nutrients spiritually. You need things that will not only encourage you, but also challenge you and make you stronger. Some verses on Instagram, or a Bibleapp verse of the day may not be enough to actually sustain you. The same also goes for your church life. You can’t depend solely on 52 assorted sermons a year. You need to dig for things that will strengthen you where you are. The author of Hebrews makes a sentiment very similar to Senshi’s.
“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” -Hebrews 5:11-14
Just like malnourished adventurers get eaten by dragons, malnourished believers fall short when they face evil. You need more than empty spiritual calories, make sure you are actually learning and growing in a way that strengthens you.
Jesus addresses this in his own battle against Satan;
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”- Matthew 4:1-4
Jesus was offered bread, but he was sustained because He was nourished by the Word of God, which was also how He defended Himself. The balance of proper spiritual nutrition is as, and in some ways more important, than our physical nutrition. As the narrator stated at the end of the 2nd episode;
“Meat cannot replace bread and bread cannot replace meat, but combine them and they can be quite delicious, so it is with meals and people.”
Senshi also makes this crucial acknowledgement;
“The basic rule of cooking is the more effort you put in, the better the taste. I was so bent on being efficient I totally forgot that fact”
The more effort and dedication we put into our own spiritual nourishment, the better we will be. If we settle for what’s easy and convenient, we may find ourselves lacking. If we only read the easy verses, we may never be ready for the hard situations.
In episode 4 the group discovers that Senshi has been using golems as gardens to plant and produce fruit. Which does seem like a more dangerous means of farming, but it is effective. He is not only able to produce enough produce to feed his team, but also enough to impact others. He grew enough fruits and vegetables to be able to supply the orcs and sell.
Sometimes spiritual nutrition isn’t just about what we take in, but is also about what we produce. You are the field and farm in which God is growing things. Your spiritual nutrition intake directly effects your fruit output. Jesus shows this in John 15.
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” - John 15: 3-8
If you aren’t properly connected, you can’t expect to grow, and if you don’t grow, you can’t bear fruit.
Senshi states;
“A dungeon is the same as a field. If you don’t care of it right you can’t enjoy what it brings you.”
Taking care of yourself spiritually is not only a blessing for you, but is also a blessing for others. Like in nature, fruit isn’t to be enjoyed by what grows it. Fruit is to be enjoyed by those who encounter the grower. When God works in us, other’s benefit.
“My thinking is, in here I eat what I grow or hunt, but I always give something back to it. Living like that makes me appreciate the dungeon. Makes me feel like when I step foot in here, I'm part of it all, and that makes me happy.” -Senshi
Another aspect that made the dungeon adventurer's stories so sweet was the fact they actually were able to sit down and share a meal together. That’s almost a foreign occurrence these days. What we do in community together helps us grow, and also helps us live.
The foursome had long grown accustomed to eating together, but once Izutsumi was added to the mix, it became a little less streamlined. Izutsumi being a loaner, didn’t want to be bound to others, their traditions, or their preferences. Izutsumi is many of us within the body of Christ. We want the relationship with Jesus, but not to actually have to be in any kind of serious community with other believers. But we need to understand that the community of believers is as important to the faith as following Jesus in the first place.
“A meal’s something you only start when everyone's together” - Senshi
The church first grew by huge strides once they began to fully embrace the gospel not as individuals, but as community.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47
What made the church vibrant, relevant, and culturally a miracle is the way they fully embraced life changing community in a way the world had never seen before. They abandoned the concept of selfishness and embraced empathy and generosity. They didn’t isolate but rather built family beyond bloodline and name. They actually enjoyed sharing in life together. That’s what created the response that had people embracing it daily. Today, very rarely do you see this kind of experience when the body of Christ gathers. We’ve reverted to spurts of generosity, but not like what we’ve seen in Acts 2. Thousands may gather, but when you don’t actually know anyone, it just feels isolating. Community connection is more important that attendance numbers. This is why things like meals and activities beyond Sunday morning are so crucial to actually growing.
“Thank you. We were strangers, but you were still kind to us. You know your food not only filled our stomachs but our hearts as well.” - Senshi
Something special happens when you share a meal with someone. Not just sitting in the same space but the community of it.
Jesus even states that meeting people’s needs when it comes to food is a holy and important thing.
““Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’“ - Matthew 25:37-40
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”- Matthew 10:42
“So unhealthy, we’ve been walking nonstop and haven’t had a decent meal since eating the dragon. I'm overwhelmed with shame that I can’t provide a hearty meal at such an important time in their lives. I must feed them. The young-ins must be fed! I have to feed them!” - Senshi
Senshi and Jesus both are very passionate about making sure people are properly fed. Even though a lot of spiritual nourishment is self-discipline, it’s important to have people that are looking out for you in the process. Like Senshi, Jesus wasn’t satisfied without his party (and all that would follow) not being cared for. So, Jesus took some time after the resurrection to restore His fallen follower, and task him with this huge responsibility.
“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” - John 21:12-17
Jesus needed to make sure that someone was going to take the responsibility to make sure that the church and its disciples would be fed as they grew. Not only was this for the immediate believers, but also to set the standard and responsibility for those to come. At this point in time the Church only consisted of around 120 people. A few days later, it would be thousands. Making sure that people are cared for and nourished shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be a priority. For Jesus it absolutely was and still is.
“You shouldn't just eat food when you have the time. To have the energy to do what you want to do, you need to eat and sleep when your body tells you that you need it.” - Laios
Peter took his role leading the church/feeding the sheep very seriously. But sometimes it’s not just about making sure you have enough to be nourished at the moment. Sometimes it’s about making sure you actually survive to be able to have another meal.
“Of all the monsters that we’ve eaten so far, were there any that didn’t fight until their last breath? It’s eat or be eaten here. If we don’t give it our all, then we’re going to be some monster’s dinner.” - Senshi
The potential of being eaten in the dungeon is a very real possibility, and something the adventurers had to constantly be aware of, and if they aren’t properly nourished, they won’t be able to survive.
“We’ve already lost once because of the distraction of an empty stomach. This time should be different.” - Laios
While we aren’t likely to be physically devoured, we are at risk of being spiritually devoured. Just like in the dungeon our nourishment plays a big part in our survival and victory.
Peter would write a word of warning and encouragement similar to the speech that Senshi gave;
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10
Peter warned them that their enemy was on the prowl ready to make them a meal spiritually, but they would need to resist, through faith. Malnourished faith isn’t going to be effective in that fight. Peter not only told them that they would fight, but when the battle is over, Jesus would restore them. That will be more effective and probably far less itchy than Marcille’s restoration spells.
Nourishment isn’t just part of your life and health. It’s part of your defense and survival. Take care to make sure you are able to feed yourself, and to help feed others.
“Eating is a privilege of the living.” - Narrator
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