| Have you ever seen "Babette's Feast"? It revolves around a rather austere sect, led by the daughters of the original pastor, who take in a woman fleeing from uprisings in Paris in the mid-1800s. As the members of the sect get older, they become more querulous, and reproach one another more. One day, the Parisian wins a lottery, from a ticket her nephew buys her every year, and resolves to cook a dinner for the sisters and their flock. It turns out that she had been a famous chef in her prime, and she uses all of her money to mount a splendid feast. As people partake, all of their bitterness disappears, and they are filled with the spirit of reconciliation, because God's grace is to be found in the beauty of His creation, and in the artistry of the chef. For once, they really feel God's mercy, and are able to be merciful to one another. I wish I could cook such a feast for this thread, with just the right wine for each course, and cognac after, so that we all were lifted above meanness, and knew that we were blessed...... |
