Ben’s November Letter
Dear friends in Christ,
There are a lot of ways to cook a turkey. For a while it was trendy to deep-fry them, then the trend was to brine them (much safer), and now the style is to spatchcock the turkey—removing the backbone and flattening it for even cooking. My favorite thanksgiving turkey of all time was one prepared by a Puerto Rican friend who painstakingly rubbed butter, salt, and cilantro between the skin and the meat; some people will celebrate this year by stuffing a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey, calling it “turducken”. Others will roast tofurkeys, or choose ham instead, or focus on side dishes. There are as many methods as there are families.
What is the “right” way? I’m not a food writer but I’ll venture a guess: it’s the way that allows us to show gratitude for the gifts of our lives with the people in it who matter. And there isn’t a recipe for that.
You will be glad to know that I reflect often on Jesus. And different sides of him will stand out to me based on what is going on around me. Sometimes it is the radiant king, enthroned in splendor, all the glory of God made comprehensible to us in a human frame. Other times I will be struck by this radical who preaches among the poor of Judea, and who is killed because he has offended the powerful. At Christmas I will reflect on the infant who reveals God’s love for all creation; at Easter I will think often on God bending all nature in love at the resurrection. I have known people who can’t quite get around to believing that Jesus is God, but who seek to live their lives like he did. And I have known people who lived most unlike him, but who took comfort in the mercy that they saw from him.
Which is the “right” Jesus? I suspect it’s the one that draws us closest to God and makes Gods work in the world comprehensible to us. And there isn’t a specific guide for that, either.
The recipe isn’t the turkey. The image of Jesus isn’t a life transformed by God. These are all steps to something bigger, something deeper, something holier. Cooking a turkey is a path to gratitude and connection with loved ones. A faith in Jesus is a path to a life lived for God, and for a world attuned to the holy. The method isn’t the destination—it’s not even the map—it is a first step toward something much more exciting than that. It is a journey that is well worth taking.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving preparations—and make time to reflect on Jesus! May both processes lead you to joy.
In Christ,
Rev. Ben