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Jennifer Garner shares the deeply thoughtful reason she would like to go to divinity school

Spirituality has been a big part of Garner's life.

jennifer garner, mark wahlberg, chris pratt

Jennifer Garner at the 88th Oscars held on February 28, 2016.

Actress Jennifer Garner surprised Allure writer Danielle Pergament in a recent profile on the “Party Down” star. In an in-depth interview entitled “Jennifer Garner: I’m Not Good at Being Fake,” she admits that she would like to go to divinity school.

“I would have really liked being a minister,” she told Allure. “My mom thinks I still will be." That would be a big career change for the A-list actress whose life has been the subject of public scrutiny for the better part of the last 25 years.

But Garner has developed a reputation for being one of Hollywood’s “nice” celebrities, so becoming a minister might actually be a natural progression. Garner told the Allure writer that she often attends church with her three children, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, the eldest of whom teaches Sunday school.



Garner says religion was always part of her Charleston, West Virginia, upbringing. "I grew up in such a lovely church in the United Methodist Church, and the minister was like the den parent," she said.

Garner gave a surprising reason she’d like to study religion—she likened it to acting.

"What I like about the study of religion, it reminds me of the study of theater—it’s really a liberal arts education,” Garner said. “You have to understand history, geography, literature. It’s art, it’s everything. I don’t know anything about Hinduism, Islam, so many other religions, and I wish I did. That feels like a sign of respect.”

She believes that by having a better understanding of religions, we get a better understanding of people.

“I think the more you engage, the more you learn about different ways that people believe and worship, the more you can sit next to anyone and be a neighbor,” she said. “There’s such value in that to me."

The actress's admission about her love for religion feels part of a growing trend among Hollywood’s most popular actors. Mark Wahlberg was adamant about Catholicism's power in his life during a February 22 (Ash Wednesday) interview on the Today show, where he appeared with a cross on his forehead.

“I don’t want to jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith,” Wahlberg said. That’s an even bigger sin. You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people. But, I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it’s important to respect and honor them as well.”

Actor Chris Pratt made headlines recently while promoting his new film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3” for his strident remarks about people who have a problem with his faith. Pratt has received a backlash on social media over rumors that he attended a church that has been condemned for its anti-LGBTQ views.

“That’s nothing new, you know?” Pratt told Page Six. “That’s the way it is—nothing new. Two thousand years ago, they hated him too,” he added, in reference to Jesus Christ.

“If I was of this world, they would love me just like that, but as it is, I’ve chosen out of this world. That’s John 15:18 through 20,” Pratt said.

All images provided by Kat Chao

A photo of Kat and her mom, and a bowl of her mom's famous curry

True

Whether it’s the mac n’ cheese that reminds you of simpler times, or the exotic spiced chicken recipe you acquired from your travels, every meal tells a story.

This rings especially true for people whose families immigrate to different countries to start a new life. Immigrant parents often not only save every penny, but spend most of their time away working in order to build a future for their children. Each comfort meal they manage to provide their kids in the very few spare hours they have tells the story of love and sacrifice.

For Kat Chao, that meal was her mother’s Korean curry.

korean foodA photo of baby Kat and her mom and dad

Growing up, Kat’s mom worked weekends to support her family. But that didn’t stop her from waking up Saturday morning to dice up some beef and fresh veggies and throw them into a large pot so that Kat’s dad could heat it up and serve it with some rice to her and her brothers later.

Curry was a quick, easy and inexpensive way to feed a full house, but it served more than just practical purposes. As Kat would wake up to the enticing aroma, she was reminded that her mom was always taking care of her, even if she couldn’t physically be there.

koran curryYUM

As Kat grew a little older, her attitude towards her mother’s curry shifted. Instead of looking forward to it, she would “roll her eyes at it,” as is customary of the rebellious teen. Those less-than-positive feelings were only exacerbated by the media constantly labeling carbs, therefore rice, as “bad.” As a kid who struggled with weight, her comfort food became a source of discomfort.

But as an adult, and now a mom herself, Kat has reached a full circle moment.

korean recipes, albertsonsKat, all grown up with her own familiy

As she makes her own kids the exact same curry dish (okay, maybe a leaner cut of beef, and organic veggies…but otherwise exactly the same!) Kat finds a whole new appreciation for the recipe, knowing how hard her mom worked to even make it happen.

Kat was lucky to have grown up with a meal to look forward to each night. Other kids aren’t so lucky. 1 in 8 kids currently experience food insecurity in the United States. But there’s an opportunity to decrease those numbers.

For every O Organics product you purchase, the company will donate a meal to someone in need through the Albertsons Companies Foundation—for up to a total of 28 million meals.

Is there a dish from your childhood that you’ve longed to rekindle with? You could do like Kat does and give it an O Organic twist. Luckily, the O Organics brand has a wide array of affordable ingredients, so creating healthy swaps is easier than ever. Plus, you can provide nourishment to another family at the same time.

Just think—the next meal you prepare could make all the difference to someone else. If every meal tells a story, that’s certainly a story worth telling.

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