A Matter of Perspective

So many people have told me how much they enjoyed my Carp stories (See Mar. 25 Post, "Fish Tales" to get caught up) that I thought I would see how much more "wisdom" I could glean from these delightful creatures.

When I was a kid, on the wall of the family's trailer at the lake was a plaque that read the following:

“How to cook carp: Take one 4-5 pound carp cleaned with head on. Marinate carp in 2 cups white vinegar and 1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix for 8 hours. Place carp on a clean cedar board. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Remove from oven, discard carp and eat the board”.

You know, there is one country where Carp is considered good eating. Can you guess where? Great Britain. Yes, there are actually fishermen from England who travel all the way to the US just to go fishing. . .for Carp! We used to run into them around here once in a while, but now that they have heard that the Carp just hop right into your boat down in Mississippi, they all head down there now (groan)! I don’t know why the Brits like eating Carp, or how exactly they prepare it. My Granddad says that it tastes like dirt, literally. Because Carp are bottom feeders, they have a muddy taste which is why people don’t eat them. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that the Brits like the taste of Carp. Some people would argue that the English are not exactly known for their fine cuisine. In fact, in London, there is a road called Queens Way, and it’s known for it’s outstanding restaurants. When I was there many years ago, I don’t think I saw a single English restaurant on Queens Way. There was French, Lebanese, Brazilian, Italian. . .no English restaurants. In fact, some say that if you travel in England, the best place to eat is in the local pubs where you can relish the local favorites like stuffed sheep stomach, kidney pie, deep fried fish & chips with mushy peas. . . hmmm, you know, this whole Carp thing is beginning to make more and more sense. And let’s face it, when you wash anything down with Guinness, you quickly forget what the food tasted like anyway. [All this, however, runs contrary to my dear friend, Lizi, who is from England and is one of the best cooks I know (although I've never tried her carp). Carp is actually relished in Asia, too, but my guess is that the wasabi drowns out the taste].

I guess the point to all of this is that perspective is everything. What we consider rubbish, others may consider haute cuisine. I recently told someone that we as human beings so often fall into the error of considering every perspective but God's. We rely on our own "wisdom" or that of the world, rather than living life through the eyes of faith. God is the arbiter of what is true, what is noble, what is good, what is beautiful, even what to feel. We must hold everything in our lives up to the lens of Scripture and seek to understand God's eternal perspective. All challenges are spiritual in nature. Am I self-loathing? Maybe I'm allowing someone else besides God tell me who I am. Am I overwhelmed by my circumstances? Maybe I'm not trusting God's righteous, sovereign hand in my life, or recognizing His discipline. Am I unhappy or unfulfilled? Maybe someone or something else is occupying the throne of my life besides God. . . .Wow, those Carp are good for something after all!