What matters most in life?
For some of us, its acquiring wisdom. For others, political and economic issues matter most. Someone told me that lifes most important issue is simply having access to water.
What do you say?
I say that a good kosher hot dog matters most in my life, after my wife, children, and grandchildren. Everything feels right in life after I get hold of and consume a huge, tasty kosher hot dog loaded with onions, mustard, and sweet pickle relish. Every bite summons visions of happiness.
I first discovered kosher hot dogs in East Coast delicatessens. I attended graduate school in Baltimore, where I studied Hebrew, Greek, and about eight other ancient Middle Eastern languages. Baltimores streets hosted varieties of delis, marketing rich collections of cured meats, seasoned breads, and exotic condiments. About once a month after a long, trying day translating languages, I took myself to a deli for a fine repast of a deliciously seasoned kosher hot dog sitting in a warm, soft and delectable bun, inviting me to dig in. As I ate, my worries floated away. My worries only returned as I reached my last bite. I found it difficult to down that last heavenly morsel of hot dog, knowing that my next visit to the deli wouldnt be for another month or so, because living on a meager stipend at that time in my life allowed for few luxuries. Yet, as I sauntered back to the dormitory, my heart often sang as I began imagining my next encounter with joy on a bun just a few weeks away. Such a beautiful expectation kept me going all the years I attended Johns Hopkins School of Arts and Sciences.
Yes ... I realize how shallow I sound. With all the problems in our world in need of great wisdom and timely economic and political solutions, who truly believes that a good kosher hot dog matters at all?
On the other hand, think about this ...
One of the most, if not the most central practice in Christianity involves the celebration of Jesus Last Supper with his disciples. It was a meal, wasnt it? And, on the night Judas betrayed Jesus, all thirteen men ate a meal together in a place often called The Upper Room. Some scholars, like me, believe that they shared the Passover meal together an annual remembrance of when the Hebrews were once slaves in the land of Egypt, but were freed through miraculous acts wrought by God. It included a sacrificed lamb, bitter herbs, and additional powerful foods depicting lifes trials as well as new beginnings. Of course, the Passover then and now carries with it longstanding, deep, rich and powerful theological imagery and cannot belong anywhere close to the lowly level of delicatessen cuisine. Plus, Jesus added even more and more theology to the Passover for later Christians, teaching his disciples that he, Jesus, would become the sacrificed lamb, itself, to free Gods children.
Nonetheless, Christianitys central practice for most denominations back in history and today remains a meal. Some Christians might even argue that The Last Supper that is, Jesus last meal or what some call Communion serves as the most important matter in life, because, like the Passover, it freed humanity from oppression. Freedom is a fairly important matter in life, dont you think? And, a meal symbolizes and declares that freedom.
A meal might actually be lifes most important concern for many people; and, it is of great concern for millions across the globe still today in our 21st Century. In contrast to more common meals, however, some meals clearly reflect a very special quality, like the Passover or The Last Supper. Yet, perhaps a meal, special or not, is the most important aspect of life after all, and the simple act of eating and sometimes sharing a meal with others did change our world more than once, offering dreams of hope for freedom throughout the centuries.
What matters most in your life?
Pastor Tom recently came from Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah to Cortez, where he pastors First United Methodist Church. Hes a graduate of Eden Theological Seminary and Johns Hopkins University.
