Next to Godliness

Cheese is a wonderful invention.  I would almost rather eat cheese than anything else on the planet.  I love cheese from cream cheese to bleu cheese...from sandwich singles to Swiss.  It is such a satisfying treat, so I guess that makes Raclette one of my favorite dishes.  My family was in Switzerland quite a few years ago, and our friends took us to a cheese market where we purchased all sorts of local cheeses.  We went back to their home and roasted little potatoes, grilled veggies and carved off bits of delicious roasted meats.  These were all arranged on a platter on the table.  Next, we cut slices of cheese from the various blocks purchased and put them all on their individual plates to keep them separate.  Finally, they brought out a contraption that I had never seen.  It was a round thing like a spaceship with little handles sticking out all the way around it.  Each of the 12 handles was attached to a tiny little pan that fit neatly into its own door.  Each guest was assigned their own pan, and we began to take the cheese of our choice, put them in the pans and then put them back into the raclette machine.  This machine melted the cheeses perfectly, and when they were ready, we then poured them over our choice of veggies and meats.  This is Raclette -- a plate of melted, cheesy goodness with a side of food.  It's perfect, isn't it?

I am impressed, however, with more than the cheese of Switzerland!  Switzerland is, in fact, as beautiful as you've been led to believe.  It is a collection of perfectly manicured, rolling hills surrounded by majestically snow-capped mountains.  We drove all around Zurich, and we never once saw a single piece of trash.  The Swiss are very proud of the beauty that surrounds them, and they go to great lengths to make sure that everything highlights the scenery.  The homes and yards are immaculate.  There is nothing that indicates laziness...at all.  I'm amazed at the way that an entire country can work together to accomplish such a herculean task.

I'm from the Southeast, but I've been throughout the entire United States and have to say that almost everywhere I've been, I've seen abandoned homes, broken down cars, excessive lawn ornaments, trash by the barrels, etc, dotting the landscape of our nation.  It's a bit embarrassing when we try to see these things through a foreigner's eyes.  When we have guests who visit, there are certain streets that they will never see!  I'm sure you could say the same of your own cities.  This is the sort of thing that is lacking in Switzerland.  These people are up there breathing cleaner air, and it has gone to their head!

There's an old saying that erroneously gets blamed for being in the Bible:  Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  In the Bible or not, there is profound truth there.  God is a god of order.  The things that He made are so very delicate and exact in their composition.  There are clear rules that govern the makeup of each cell.  He did all things well.  He is very concerned that we are orderly, too, but His concern is with the origin of our intent.

In Matthew 23, Jesus is speaking to a group that had gathered to hear Him.  He addressed the religious groups that showed up at the temple.  Many strived to have the appearance of devotion in an effort to make others around them look bad.  Our Lord's assessment of them was strong. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.  Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:25-28

Sometimes, I get a little shy around people who appear to be perfect.  I don't always feel as put together as they are.  And sometimes I am quite embarrassed when people show up at my house and things are strewn about.  The truth is, though, that inside we are all a little messy and in need of a good clean up.  I would rather be a bit externally strewn, making every effort to please God on the inside than the opposite - making external attempts to please people while living with the mess of my heart.  God loves order, but He loves us in our messy conditions.  It is His will to come into our lives and bring about the change necessary for our own internal house-keeping.

Menu suggestion:  Give raclette a try.  You may not have the machine for it, but you can melt a variety of cheeses that you love and top your favorite meats or veggies.  Keep the carbs off the table, though, to make up for the fat grams you'll be eating!  :) Create your own favorite cheese combos and let me know...I'd like to try them, too!