He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. Ephesians 4:16 (MSG)
Words and Actions – The Perfect Blend Series – Part 3
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
They say that 2000 hours goes into making a cup of coffee from the time you germinate a seed to the point where you brew it and serve it.
Most specialty coffee is made with a species called Arabica, which is grown at high altitude, and because of this, they're usually picked by hand. After they're processed, the beans get sorted and graded by hand. From there, they're bagged and shipped around the world. And when it arrives at a coffee warehouse, it then is roasted. (I can smell it as I type…).
By the time it arrives for a barista to work with, it’s seen a lot of different people and been through a lot of different processes. A barista's job is to respect that process by giving it their best; making it into a delicious cup for you to enjoy.
When it comes to humanity, we all play our own parts. People have different experiences and journeys but fundamentally come from the same divine source.
It’s tempting to view difference as bad or wrong. It’s even more tempting to devalue the work of someone or something different. But each person – every single one of us – has been through trials and troubles, joys and happiness, situations and circumstances that have shaped our hearts and lives. These experiences hold value because they form our personhood, for good or bad.
They create contours, unseen, that are intimately intrinsic to who we are.
And who we are matters.
Our job, our part to play in this crazy world, is to take what has been shaped and formed, these beautiful lives that we bump up against in the living of them, and show them the love and nurture they deserve – the unending and unconditional love of the Divine God.
We're all human, and it's a mysterious joy that we get to care for and hone the journey of the hundreds and thousands of lives that pass through our hands. It's a humble and holy vocation.
If we all take up this call to love and care, imagine what kind of world, what flavors and sweetness and richness, we could create with each other. Perhaps we might find that perfect blend of diversity and unity.
Just like the coffee farmer in Costa Rica doesn’t see where his beans end up, so it is with those that pass through our lives. We may never know the reach of our words and actions.
So let's be sure to do our part with great love and passion. That we respect the process of the lives that pass through our care, be it for a moment, or a lifetime.
Let's infuse our daily interactions with as much kindness, generosity, and love we can muster.
With coffee, it’s the love and care that makes it taste so good. With people, it’s no different.
Written by Jesse Milani
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