Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Recently, I watched this fascinating documentary about Jiro Ono, an 85-yr.-old man considered by many to be the world's foremost sushi chef. It's a fascinating story about a man and his sons who love their work. Surprisingly enough, as focused as the Onos are on their work, they still have a heightened sensitivity to the larger environment in which they work and live. As the Onos lament in one part of the documentary, overfishing has led to a worldwide shortage of fish. Ono's eldest son Yoshikazu says:

"The tuna stocks are declining each year. It takes ten years for them to grow to 100 kilograms. Net-fishing and bottom-trawling methods catch everything, even the younger fish. There should be enforced regulations on catching only bigger fish. Catching the smaller fish before they've matured lowers the overall number. Businesses should balance profit with preserving natural resources. Without fish, we can't do business. However, that doesn't mean they should catch all the fish to the brink of extinction. For posterity, we must be conscious of this issue."

Yoshikazu's reflections remind me much of what we have been talking about the last couple of years in my Doctor of Ministry cohort meetings, that we live in a covenantal universe with the offers of both blessings and curses to the one who chooses to live either within or outside the prescriptions and limits of our covenantal obligations.

"Always strive to elevate your craft. That's what he always taught me." 

-Yoshikazu Ono speaking of his father Jiro