EMMA WATSON looks at the role food can play in showing love to others, just as God shows love to us…
There’s something about food that nourishes the soul as well as the body. For most people, an offering of food is seen as an act of love more than just a way to fuel their bodies. It’s a delicious act of love that’s universal. The way to (let’s say) everyone’s heart is through their stomachs. This is often most apparent in moments of celebration or struggle.
PICTURE: Pexels/Nikola čedíková
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH RASPBERRY COULIS
For the brownie:
Ingredients:
125g butter
200g dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1¼ cups (185g) plain flour
150g white chocolate, chopped
100g milk chocolate, chopped
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced).
2. Grease and line a deep 19cm square cake pan.
3. Combine butter and dark chocolate in a small pan over low heat. Stir until smooth.
4. Transfer to a large bowl, cool for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in sugar and eggs, then sifted flour.
6. Fold in white and milk chocolate bits.
7. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan.
8. Bake for approx 35 minutes or until firm. Cool in pan.
9. Cut into 4cm squares when cold.
For the Raspberry Coulis:
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Method:
1. Pop all ingredients into a small pan.
2. Heat, covered, on low heat until raspberries are soft.
3. Bring to a simmer until mixture thickens slightly.
4. Take off heat and cool.
5. Place mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.
As Christians, we are challenged to reflect a loving God, not just in what we say but how we live – “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.” (I John 4:16-17)
It’s a big calling – they’re rather large shoes to fill – but I have found that it’s in the simple, everyday things that we can be Jesus and show love to others. My teenaged daughter loves to bake. For her friends’ birthdays, she makes sure she finds out what they loved to eat and bakes them their favourite sweet. It takes time and effort (especially the clean up!) but she does it to make them feel special…seen.
These simple acts of love are especially important when people are finding life tough. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to help people, especially when they’ve experienced a traumatic event or are facing a huge challenge. Providing a meal not only offers practical help but a caring presence as well. Being present in those situations – sharing a meal, a cup of tea, and helping to share the load by just listening – helps people feel loved.
Throughout the Bible, God provides His physical presence with an offering of food. When He led the Israelites into the wilderness, He ensured that they never felt alone.
It was a pretty dark, confusing situation they found themselves in. But God made His presence known in miraculous ways – a pillar of fire at night and a cloud by day. He was always there but He knew they also needed their physical needs attended to so He provided manna, fresh water, and quail for them to eat. More than they needed.
Likewise, when Jesus fed the 5000 with only five loaves and two fish, there were 12 basketfuls of leftovers. These accounts reflect a loving, generous God, who is more than able to provide for His people, everything they need and more, in times of great need.
This generosity and love in action is just one of the ways we can reflect God’s love to the people around us. While a pre-prepared dinner is useful, there’s nothing like chocolate to make your loved one feel really special. It’s a treat and often something they wouldn’t make for themselves. Luxury on a stick!
Let’s get scientific for a minute to justify our consumption of chocolate. A study by Swinburne University in Melbourne found that dark chocolate has polyphenols that make you feel happy, triggering a release of Serotonin. I can’t vouch for white chocolate, but, it seems, the darker, the better.
So, if you’re ever at a loss to know how to help someone who is struggling, sad, or just needs to know that someone cares, bake them up a batch of these delicious triple chocolate brownies with some tangy raspberry coulis and sit with them, listen, and be Jesus to them.
