I made salsa for dinner last night. And as I was getting ready to do so, the thought occurred to me that families are like salsa! But not just families … this could also apply to friend-groups, or small-group Bible studies. After all, a friend-group is just like “family” … and a small-group Bible study is just like “family.”
In gathering the ingredients for salsa, there is a variety of textures, colors, and flavors!
The tomatoes in the salsa are one of the primary ingredients. Tomatoes are soft … and cannot handle accidentally rolling off the counter and dropping onto the floor. These tomatoes could represent those members of our family / friend-group who are soft-hearted. These “tomato” family members / friend-group members are very tender and have a huge heart for everyone! These people love deeply! They don’t hide their emotions … they are who they are.
But they cannot handle being accidentally “dropped on the floor.” Harsh jokes, thoughtless cutting remarks, etc. … these absolutely destroy soft-hearted people.
Peppers are also a primary ingredient in salsa. As you can see in the photo, peppers are bright, vibrant, and full of color. If a pepper is accidentally dropped onto the floor, it’s fine. It can handle it.
The peppers could represent those members of our family / friend-group who are bright, vibrant, full of life & enthusiasm! These “pepper” family members / friend-group members bring the party with them wherever they go. They love to joke and laugh and have a good time. They aren’t “damaged” easily by harsh, thoughtless, “crushing” remarks.
Salsa wouldn’t be salsa without the onions. The onions are a key ingredient … rounding out the flavor. Like the peppers, onions likewise aren’t easily damaged if dropped onto the floor.
These green onions could represent those members of our family / friend-group who “round things out.” These “green onion” family members / friend-group members bring a healthy balance of common sense, logic, and wisdom to the scene. And they can handle the harsh, thoughtless, “crushing” remarks just fine.
I accidentally forgot to pick up a jalapeño pepper when I was at the store. Jalapeño peppers are fiery! Hot! Spicy! It’s nice to have some heat … but you’ve got to be careful, or it could be overpowering! Depending on your taste, you might only be able to handle one jalapeño in your salsa … or perhaps you might prefer many jalapeños in your salsa.
Jalapeño’s could represent those members of our family / friend-group who are “fiery!” … confrontational! … “hot & spicy” with conflict! A confrontational family member / friend-group member adds some “kick” to the dynamic … but you’ve got to be careful, or it could be overpowering!
Some families / friend-groups only have one or two strong personalities … whereas other families / friend-groups have many fiery, strong personalities. These “jalapeño” people are most likely to be the ones tossing out “biting” remarks, and harsh, thoughtless responses which “crush” the more sensitive members of the group.
A lime is a necessary ingredient for salsa! The lime is mellow … it “tones down” and “mellows out” the fiery kick of the jalapeño. We need these people in our family / friend-group! We need these “lime” people who “tone down” and “mellow out” the confrontation and conflict stirred up by the “jalapeño” people.
And, of course, the spices … cilantro & cumin! Did you know that cumin is actually mentioned in the Bible?! Check it out …
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” – Matthew 23:23
These “cumin” people could represent those in our family / friend-group / small-group Bible study who put on a really good show of being religious / good / “holy” … but these “cumin” people are just acting. They want to look good in front of everyone else … but deep down in their heart they don’t really care about other people. They put on pretenses of being “pious” … yet they won’t be bothered or inconvenienced by any need of someone else which is uncomfortable for them, or which require sacrifice of them.
So much variety of textures, flavors, and colors that go into making a terrific batch of salsa!
It takes all of it to make a terrific batch of salsa! Every ingredient brings its own uniqueness to the mix! Every ingredient is important!
So also … it takes all of us (in our family / friend-group) to make a terrific batch of “family”!
Every family member / friend-group member brings their own uniqueness to the mix! Every person is important!
Sure, each one has their own weaknesses, faults, and flaws. But together we balance each other out! Together we tone each other down!
Together, we bring out the best of all of us!
Together, we become one awesome, amazing, delicious bowl of salsa!
