A Bite of Heaven

Cultures. Love Cultures. Cultural differences fascinate me. I find it so amazing that in this sea of 7 billion souls not one mind thinks exactly like another, and even what seems so black and white in one culture actually has a million shades of gray in another.

God's so incredibly creative! He reflects His character through all of this. Granted some traditions need redemption, but the diversity and unique gifts of each nation are definitely to honor Him. I love How each and every culture (tribe, nation) has a distinct music, dance, art and food. Wow!! Yay God!

All that to say that I went to Bethel's Festival of Cultures last night and had a great time trying out food samples and soaking up insight on ways to cook rice, ways to play music, ways "we here say..."

I believe the eloquent C.S. Lewis nails it in the "Letter to Malcolm":

 "I do not think that the life of Heaven bears any analogy to play or dance in respect of frivolity... It is only in our ‘hours-off,’ only in our moments of permitted festivity, that we find an analogy. Dance and game are frivolous, unimportant down here; for ‘down here’ is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment’s rest from the life we were place here to live." 

Makes sense, doesn't it? That the things that here are considered childish and unimportant, mere entertainment, are the ones we actually find beauty and joy in. They're what reflects our Daddy's heart, His love and how we were made in His image, what we can create.

I had 22 spices rice from Jordan, buñuelos from Mexico and Ecuador, chocolate and fondue from Switzerland, brown cheese from de Netherlands, some kind of licorice from Finland, a tapioca-cheese bread (pao de queijo) from Brazil, rice with carrot and raisins from Afganistan, Latvian salad, Ketchup Chips from Canada, eggplant parmesan from Italy, chicken curry from India, tea from England, something something I can't pronounce from South Korea, and a few other food samples plus the enjoyment of music and performances that all in all represented the 40 countries that the 547 foreign students of BSSM are from. So awesome! So rich! So God! My heart was so filled with joy, awe and wonder at how creativity flows and the many ways things can me made. It was great to also get prophetic declarations for countries, so that they can come to the redeemed fullness of what they were made to be! It felt like a little piece of heaven, a bite of heaven.

"But in this world everything is upside down. That which , if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven."

That's just it: Joy is the serious business of heaven!