Tastes Like Chicken

How do you describe something that you just tasted for the first time? A coffee critic may characterize a certain blend with words like “fruity”, “smoky”, “acidic”, “mellow”, “intense”, or “burnt”, and an experienced coffee drinker can more or less mentally imagine the flavor. On the other hand, “tastes like chicken” is a pretty safe answer when describing different kinds of meat. How does turkey taste? Tastes like chicken. What about rattlesnake? Tastes like chicken. Frog leg? Tastes like chicken. Alligator? Tastes like chicken. Tofu? Tastes like chicken...not.

I recently asked my eighth grade Sunday school class to image describing tofu to someone who has never tasted it before. All of them were of Asian descent, and were quite familiar with this common soy product. Their answers were quite entertaining:

“Tofu is really soft and white, like a marshmallow, but it doesn't taste like it.”

“It doesn't have much taste.”

“It's like soybean-flavored jelly.”

“It tastes like tofu....”

“It's soft and squishy like a custard, but it tastes different....”

By the end of the discussion, it was quite obvious that no one could quite come up with an adequate description of the texture and taste of tofu; however, nearly everyone agreed that one must taste tofu to know what tofu tastes like.

We run into the same problem when we try to describe God. Although God created the universe and is wholly responsible for our very existence, He is so different from anything in the world that He defies description. In fact, God specifically prohibits in the Ten Commandments the making of “graven images” that may be used as representations of Himself, as any such image would be imperfect, inferior, and impotent compared to the Almighty.

Nevertheless, God also wants His people to have knowledge of Himself, and the Bible gives us sketches of God by using things and experiences that are familiar to us. We ought to pray to “Our Father in heaven”. Jesus appeared on earth in human form. The Holy Spirit is characterized as wind, water, fire, and even as a dove alighting on Jesus. Yet, these images and metaphors provide but a small foretaste of the wonderful experience and knowledge of God that will be revealed to us fully after we complete our earthly journey.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

It will be way better than chicken.