Kosher Marshmallows and The Prodigal's Return

MELLOW MALLOWS

I couldn't believe my ears.......as the young mother sitting behind us at the restaurant asked the waitress if the marshmallows were Kosher??

I'd never heard of such a thing....Kosher Marshmallows - "ritually acceptable" junk food?

I did a little research and I can now understand perhaps a little bit more about why this young mother was concerned. Marshmallows can slip under the radar for people who are concerned about animal products and bi-products.


IMMACULATE CONFECTION

Real, or "Orthodox" Marshmallows are made from the extract of the mucilaginous root of the herb plant (Althaea officinalis) the "Marsh Mallow" - however, now that over 90 million pounds of them are consumed annually in America - manufacturers have resorted to making them out of Gelatin. Sometimes this Gelatin is made from animal parts - and not necessarily the good parts!!!! So, although "Kosher" doesn't necessarily mean that she'd avoid the "miscellaneous animal parts," that are often found in "Generic" brands, it does mean that her children would be at worst case eating Fish gelatin.

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I must confess that my first impulse to make light of this young mother's words later turned into an abject lesson in self-observation. 

How quickly I was wiling to jump to the conclusion that this woman was some kind of fanatical religious nutcase - too Orthodox for her own good, I thought. But I was wrong.

THE GENERIC CHOICE

When I first began my spiritual journey I was very quick to discredit the "old-fashioned" rituals and ceremonies that I saw in the Catholic Church as evidence of a faith that was stuck in the past. I never studied the history or meaning of those rituals and practices because I'd already decided what I wanted to be true - and that wasn't going to be it. I wanted a more exotic, modern, and less "judgemental" kind of religion. I wanted an "experience" that tasted good - I didn't care that much about the ingredients. 

I tried the generic brand of Christianity - the kind that's found in "Seeker" services, and at first I really liked it. The generic brand is often the most inexpensive; that is, requires a lower amount of investment.

COMING HOME TO THE ORIGINAL BRAND.

A few years ago, after becoming disenchanted with the "Seeker" friendly brand of Christianity - I rejected it altogether and went back into the "exotic" world of Hinduism and Buddhism. What surprised me though was that as I analyzed what it was about these two "ancient" religions that drew me in, I found that the same legacy and history that stood as a foundation to these paths had much in common with the history and traditions of Christianity. Unfortunately, much of this history had been discarded or ignored after the so-called "Reformation."

So, I began a search into ancient Christianity and found out that the Catholic Church in both its Eastern and Western forms (Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism) were not locked in the past - but were in fact accurately re-presenting the timeless truths of the original church that was "Once for all delivered to the saints"(St. Jude 1:3)

I found that not only was the original brand better than the generic - but it had a much richer flavor.

In this day and age when we have access to so much information - I hope I can encourage anyone who is searching for the truth about life to not settle for the generic variety that might seem more accessible but very lacking in pure ingredients. The Kosher variety is often so much better!

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;

 Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

- Psalm 34:8