Snacking in Heaven

 

This cannot be true! Black licorice is deadly.  Or so say the doctors who treated a man who died after eating almost two bags a day of black licorice for several weeks.

 

Why is this so distressing to me? Because I love licorice. I have kept a jar of licorice in my office my entire 41 years of working.  And now this. “The key message here for the general public is that food containing licorice can potentially be hazardous to your health if eaten in large quantities.” So says Dr. Neal Butala, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Source: Yahoo News)

 

With all due respect to Dr. Butala and his colleagues who authored the study calling out black licorice as the latest thing that will kill me, I wonder if the ‘key message here for the general public’ might not instead be, “Don’t eat two bags a day of black licorice, or anything, people!”  As a licorice-lover I rise to its defense, and argue the problem is not the candy but the candy-eaters. The doctors say that even two ounces a day for two weeks can cause heart trouble, so if that’s true, I can eat one ounce and live!

 

In the ancient church teachings gluttony was listed as one of the ‘seven deadly sins.’  It’s opposite, the virtue, is moderation or temperance.  In other words, it’s a sin to gulp down bags of licorice, but it’s not a sin to have a little at a time.  Isn’t that how most of life should be lived, friends?

 

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight yourself in the richest of fare.” (55:2) That is one of my favorite passages to read at funerals. Heaven is not the absence of food. People in heaven, like this man who died from over-consumption of black licorice, I pray, still get snacks.  In fact, we get the richest of fare because God wants us to enjoy ourselves in God’s presence, worshiping God always, even while we snack.

 

I have a doctor appointment coming up. Maybe I will bring along my jar of licorice and ask her if I need to give up black licorice until I get to heaven. Or maybe I won’t.

One Thin Dime

 

We were standing in the hallway as the housekeeper was assuring us our hotel room was clean. She looked down, picked up a dime, and smiled. “Do you know what this means?” We told her we did not, and she said, “You should look it up.” I didn’t look up the meaning of ‘finding a dime’ then because, well, I don’t much believe in those theories.

 

About a month later we were dining outdoors at a restaurant with some dear friends. Eventually the conversation turned to our summer travels and I told my ‘finding a dime story.’  I said that I don’t put stock in finding meaning in things like finding coins, seeing a cardinal in the backyard, things like that. Our friend said, ‘I do. Every time I see a cardinal in the backyard I believe it is a visit from my Mom. It means a lot to me.’  ‘Hm. I replied. Well, I believe that God does speak to us in different ways, and that there are ‘thin places’ through which we could get spiritual insights. But,  I don’t know that God would use cardinals and coins to reach us.’  My wife shot me a look that said something like, ‘OK Mr. Grump. Lighten up’ as she explained her own belief in close encounters that happen through thin places.

 

I was feeling a little guilty the rest of the meal for having rained on the parade. I mean, who am I to tell other people they shouldn’t believe in cardinals and coins as notes from loved ones, messages from angels passed through thin places?

 

As we left the table following dinner I realized I left my jacket on the chair so I walked back alone to our table. As I reached down to pick up my jacket, there, sitting on  the ground next to where our friend was seated, I saw it. I bent down and picked up that thin dime.  I told the others as I caught up to them, and we all paused as I looked up and read to everyone the meaning of finding a dime.  They all smiled at me with a look that said, ‘See Mr. Grump. Open your eyes.’

 

Alright, God. Message received. Thin dimes. Thin places.  Heaven is closer than we know.

 

A Dog's Eyes

 

A Tribute to the Poet, Mary Oliver (1935-2019), who saw God’s wonderful theatre with exceptional eyes and reported it to us in beautiful words.

And in recognition of our grand dogs, those furry ones whom God has provided as blessings to our children and grandchildren, offering their parents a window of love as only their eyes can speak.

Enjoy, and share with someone who knows what it is hear “I love you” in the eyes of a four-legged creature of God’s design.

Remember, God speaks in all of Creation, even, maybe especially, in the furry ones.

 

“The Sweetness of Dogs” (by Mary Oliver from Dog Songs)

 

What do you say, Percy? I am thinking

of sitting out on the sand to watch

the moon rise. It’s full tonight.

So we go

and the moon rises, so beautiful it

makes me shudder, makes me think about

time and space, makes me take

measure of myself: one iota

pondering heaven. Thus we sit, myself

thinking how grateful I am for the moon’s

perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich

it is to love the world. Percy, meanwhile,

leans against me and gazes up

into my face. As though I were just as wonderful

as the perfect moon.