What? No Gumbo?

The Fodder:  Leviticus 11-13

The Thought:  The sign on the marquee reads, “New Name – New Menu”.  Kashrut’s Kitchen had the reputation for being an industry leader in Goshen and Egypt with more locations than any other eatery.  The Exodus disrupted everything.  Gone were the 23 locations.  Gone were the freshest ingredients of Egypt and Goshen.  Gone were the happy faces of many satisfied customers.  Gone were the long days of boiling pots, rolling steam and sore feet.  Gone.  All gone, including the Gumbo; the dish that combines ingredients and culinary practices from several cultures.  The item that put Kashrut’s Kitchen on the map; the item that people would wait in line for hours to eat;  the item that had won hundreds of “people’s choice” awards over the last 37 years.  Gone.  The meal that epitomized the heart of a nation; the Gumbo was gone.  Forbidden.

The Exodus may have disrupted everything, but the stone tablets changed the menu.  “Who needs holiness when you can have Gumbo?”, Kashrut caught himself whispering under his breath.  More than a question, the thought revealed the tendency of the Israelites to blend in with their surroundings.  They were a nation of chameleons; a fact that God demanded would change. Gumbo represented everything holiness opposed.

The new dietary laws had Gumbo squarely in their sights but Kashrut was determined not to take it personally.  Kashrut’s Kitchen would reorganize, relaunch and survive.  The lines would return; there’d be happy faces again.  Gone was the Gumbo but the people still had its favorite chef and Sinai had its newest restaurant, Kashrut’s Kosher Kitchen.

Kashrut’s experience wasn’t unique – all the Israelites experienced change and lots of it.  God wanted a people who would simply look, think and act differently than all other nations.  That’s the central theme of God’s message to the Israelites – holiness.  God wanted a holy people.  Outlawing Gumbo, with it’s mix of cultures and ingredients, was representative of what God was trying to do in the hearts and minds of His people.   God didn’t want them to think in terms of what was lost, but rather, what is gained.  Living a holy life, set apart from all others – set apart to Him – led to a rich inheritance found only in God.

Millennia later Jesus would come and fulfill all God intended for His people.  For Christ-followers today, Gumbo - as a food item - is back on the menu.  God still desires for His people to be set apart.  Our holiness is expressed through our life in and submission to Christ.

Submitted from www.thefodder.net