I never know what to expect when I order a Japanese cheesecake. I have come to appreciate the uncertainty. I open myself up to wondering how the chef will prepare the dish. What style will he use? How will it be served? How will I react to the presentation? What follows?
With this dish, I was impressed. Simple ingredients elevated. The crowning touch of the flower and the impression it left with me through a simple twist in flavours was amazing. Even as I was enjoying the experience, I could hear life whispering and reminding me of the following.
Greatness can come from simple ingredients. One needs a divine touch, creativity, and discipline. While the dish initially appeared complex, as I deconstructed the textures and ingredients, I saw the simplicity. It was as if the chef had taken old words into the kitchen and made them real; “Hosea put it well: I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved.” (Romans 9.25) What some would see as simple, in collaboration with a master, was transformed into wonderful comfort and satisfaction.
One cannot do it alone. As strong as any ingredient was, using the flower as a reference point, it was in the hands of the Divine that greatness followed. Once presented, I can imagine the role flowers play in other dishes. It was in working with the chef, that the new ideas and possibilities came to life. I have an opportunity to collaborate with others, letting Divinity infuse kindness, care, and compassion into the day-to-day aspects of living, to create a better place for my community. As strong as I might be, with others so much more is possible.
Never underestimate what appears hidden. Greatness is found in everyone. The missing piece is here if one is open to the possibility. It is in accepting and respecting the Divinity within every individual that we discover their power, beauty, and wonder. What seems insignificant is, in the larger story, a Divine creation. What seems unlovable is embraced and loved by Divinity.
