The 9th Circuit Court announced a decision yesterday, “When is butter not butter? When it is a spray.” It is an interesting point to consider; what makes anything real and true? Does form matter? Does a mark determine the answer? Perhaps it is something one must be born into?
Last night I received two gifts. I find myself anticipating what it will be like to consume mountain honey and local lemons, both reflecting centuries old ways of living and being close to the land. As I reflect on what is to come as well as what has been decided, I listen to life whispering old reminders as if it was my first time.
It has never been about the external, it was always about the heart. Liquid sweeteners and honey are not the same. Lemons have their own nuances; with the best bringing out unique tastes and emotions as they are consumed. Each is real and true in ways one never can fully describe. Old words ring true today; “Don’t you see: It’s not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew.” (Romans 2.28) In life, God, and in living, what is true and real comes from the heart insides, not from the externals.
There are fakes everywhere, masquerading as the real thing. With experience, one would never confuse the lemon I hold in my hands with the round plastic imitation filled with sour liquid as the same. Even the first timer can taste the difference between natural wildflower honey from the mountains and manufactured sugar syrups.
The line between real and an alternative, truth and want-a-be truth extends to the food we consume, the relationships we keep, and even the values we hold closest to our hearts. I love the authentic. I get so much more out of the natural. When it comes from the heart, even flawed, everything is possible.
I do not have a view about what others will decide. With what is real and true, I am thinking of yesterday’s lessons and how I work towards making today better.
