GOOD?

Friday: I ate a slice of pineapple. Big deal, you say. Yes, BIG DEAL, I reply. You see, I used to be allergic to that species of fruit as a child. And over the years, I had gotten over the allergy … or so I thought! Two days ago, I decided to go for a piece of that plant product after a nice dinner at a fellow-student’s. Bad choice! I will spare you the embarrassing and morbid physiological details. Suffice it to say, a few hours later, I was confined to a certain room in my flat. For a long time. In several spells.

I thought it would be fine, but it wasn’t.

Saturday: Mark (another “Dawg”) and his wife, Dawn, and I took a trip to the outskirts of Aberdeen looking for good food! We found it in lush Victorian settings at a place called Tor-na-coille (Gaelic for something like “house among the trees on the hilltop”). Brave soul that I am, I ordered—for the first time in my life—haggis. For you of non-Scottish inclinations and proclivities, here’s how the recipe for this gastronomic delicacy starts: “Take the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys of a sheep, chop them up, add suet, onions, oatmeal, cayenne pepper and other seasonings, stuff all of that into the stomach of a sheep and boil it for 2 hours.” Nice, huh?

Yup! That’s what I ate. I know what you are thinking. One evocative and emotive word: Yuk!

But I have to confess, folks, it tasted pretty good! (And, for those concerned about the subsequent state of my intestines—they’re still discharging [ahem!] their responsibilities quite well, thank you!). So much so, I might actually go for it again! Haggismaniac, you can call me henceforth!

I thought it would be horrid, but it wasn’t.

What I figured I’d like, I didn’t! What I expected to hate, I liked! Strange! I don’t know what’s good for myself … and it seems like I don’t know what’s bad for me either.

On the other hand, maybe not so strange.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me,
that is, in my flesh ….
Romans 7:18

I am easily fooled by my own prejudices, my own sins, my own depravity. I don’t know what I should be doing, and what I should not; what is good for me and what is not! I don’t! You don’t! Nobody does! But God!

When 1 Thessalonians 5:21 urges us to “hold fast to that which is good,” it presumes upon the truth of these Paul’s words to Timothy:

All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable …
so that the [wo]man of God
may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17

What is good for us is what God decides. His will.

And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove
what the will of God is,
that which is good
and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2

And God’s will is sufficiently portrayed for us in His Word. Let us learn therefrom to “love what is good” (Titus 1:8). Pausing for a moment as we journey towards Holy Week, let us recommit ourselves to the Scriptures, to study it and to practice it.

But solid food is for the mature,
who because of practice
have their senses trained
to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14

Haggis, anyone?