Oksana and the Blinchiki

I’ve always said that I could eat Tex-Mex food two or three times a week and I think that’s probably true.  But tonight was a dinner full of memories as we got together with some friends in North Houston for Borscht and Blinchiki.  Our chef, Oksana, is from Uzbekistan which used to be part of the Soviet Union.  So it was a lot of fun trying to remember our Russian and the names of the great dishes we had while living in Moscow back in the mid 90s.  I love trying foods from all over the world.  Probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten was on a college internship in Chile back in 88 and I’d say that the best food I’ve ever had was in Nagaland, India.  But I think one of the greatest parts of these fun food festivities is not just the palate, but the friendships, culture, and Kingdom experiences that come along with them.  Cultural because we are all different and I love that.  But from the Kingdom standpoint, it is a reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven is not an American thing, but a God thing.  The real Kingdom of God, or Heaven, is something that Jesus said is within us.  It stretches all over the world and across time.  It will continue to expand in the hearts and minds of God’s children until Christ comes back.  So in a very real sense, the Kingdom is all over the world and transcends all cultures.  Having grown up in Texas, you could say that Tex-Mex really is a “national” or cultural reality for me.  But because the Kingdom of God is so big, there is really no one “national food” for Kingdom citizens.  But rather, it’s kind of a multi course banquet.  Now THAT smells good.  Fish Tacos anyone?