A Taste Test
Just finished eating leftovers. Green curry from a wonderful Thai restaurant we ate at yesterday…. mmmm… delicious! My husband, John, also enjoyed his Pad Thai. This however, was after he removed the “parsley-like” leaves sprinkled attractively atop his entrée. They were not parsley leaves … they were cilantro! John does NOT care for cilantro! Fortunately I do, so I simply picked the unwelcome accessories from his food and added them to mine. Then he proceeded to enjoy his meal.
When it comes to taste, I find it intriguing why we like certain things, and dislike others. I can’t quite figure why John doesn’t like cilantro… he likes basil, parsley, dill, rosemary and a long list of other herbs, just as I do. So, why not cilantro? What tips the scale against such a tiny ingredient?
Way back in 1975 Pepsi-Cola launched an advertising campaign called “The Pepsi Challenge.” Blindfolded subjects tasted Pepsi and Cocoa-cola. The researchers hoped to prove that the majority of people liked Pepsi best. And, in fact, the results showed just that. Although I’m sure there were many non-connoisseurs who simply couldn’t tell any difference between the two. And there had to be individuals (like my brother) who could always tell the difference and always preferred Coke. So… why does one person choose Pepsi and another Coke?
My own tastes have changed over the years. I grew up with a very limited daily menu. This was primarily due to my meat-potatoes-and-green-peas kind of dad. But when I visited in other homes I would invariably be offered something I’d never tasted before. I was usually hesitant, but not wanting to offend, I opened my mouth and braced myself for something disgusting. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many new dishes were actually quite delicious. I also discovered that if I ate something several times, I could develop a tolerance, and perhaps even a taste for it. I used to despise oatmeal, and always donated the pickles from my burgers to my husband. Now I truly enjoy oatmeal and can even savor the crunch of a dill pickle on my sandwich. But I had to get the food into my mouth to know for sure!
Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 34:8, Psalm 119:103)
When it comes to food, each individual must eat to survive, so hunger is universal, but taste preferences vary widely. Similarly in the spiritual realm every human being has a soul hunger that can only be satisfied through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ… and my eternal survival depends on that. But, isn’t it just like our loving God to make that relationship delectable to everyone who dares to take His free sample?
How thankful I am that I’ve tasted the goodness of the Lord! Better than ice cream, better than pizza, better than green curry… and definitely better than cilantro!