Of Uni and Egg

As as a fan of sushi and sashimi I have had my share of toro, and the many delights of thinly sliced raw fish presented in dazzling arrays of floral sculpture presented on plates made to look like ethereal Japanese gardens.

Many times I have also indulged in the creamy goodness of uni or for those of you outside of the know, raw sea urchin. This delectable creature tastes like the like ocean with a notably intense richness of flavor comparable to the finest clams.

Why it took me so long to also ask for this delight to be topped with the quail egg (as is offered in any respectable sushi establishment) I do not know. What I do know is that the taste of the raw quail egg and uni together provide a rather transcendent experience for those who already love uni by itself. Having finally tried this mind bending combination of sea and air creature features at Kaizen sushi bar and grill in Sturbridge, Massachusetts I must say, I regret waiting.

Perhaps it was one of several episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” where I watched him devour the same sublime combination that inspired my last minute reaction at Kaizen to reply to the waitress, “yes I will have the quail egg with my uni”.  Regardless of why I made the decision I realized from the first bite, my uni ritual was forever changed.

Indeed it takes a certain kind to enjoy uni as it is even for the novice sushi lover a new level of extremes within the realm of consuming raw fish. However if you are already there and enjoy the delicacy as is and have not experienced the magic that is the marriage of quail egg and uni I digress,

taste and be amazed.

What is “Church”

While reading some posts on “Mike in progress Blog” I came across a quote that I have tried to communicate myself and at times did so with far to many words. It is simply excellent as a reminder to those who claim to be christians.

“While most of us know this, we still need to be reminded that the church is not a specific building or location. Our buildings and programs create environments for church to happen but they are no more or less sacred than our living room or the neighborhood pub.” –Brad Ruggles

Indeed, Church is the grand collective of all those who believe in Jesus Christ as lord and savior…. Church is not a building.

Meditations on the evolution of my faith

At the age of 26 I find myself more comfortable in my own skin in regards to my faith as a Christian. For years I found it hard to speak to many of my friends about my spirituality other than those specific concepts that fit nicely with their religious or spiritual views. Mainly because as an artist and musician most of my closest friends have Esoteric, Agnostic or Atheist views on life and matters of a spiritual nature.

Exoteric Christianity can be very off-putting to folks who would describe themselves as open minded individuals and even as a christian there were times in my youth that I would question my faith while becoming rather fond of the outward fruits of their belief systems. However with age and earnest seeking God has revealed his truths to my heart, mind and soul time and again, often times in ways bearing significant resemblance to synchronicity, although such a phenomenon touched by the holy spirit has a specific light about it not found with its secular counterpart.

With that being said I have found that many of my fears as a teenager, such as being ostracized for my belief in Jesus Christ as the sole mediator, path and way to God and heaven, has fallen by the wayside even with the threat of loss still peaking its head into my daily life in regards to my relationships to those who disagree with such a concept. I attribute some of this to the fact that many of my friends who disagree, dislike or even abhor the Christan faith see me and my actions towards them as kind hearted and open minded. Indeed as I write this the very thought still bears the marks of personal epiphany.

What I mean to express here is that there are many Christians such as myself who exist outside of the hypocritical, cookie cutter, plastic smile televangelist fold.  Sadly many folks especially those who like myself are drawn to the art and music of Psychedelia, Bohemian, or Counter subcultures view Christians  as a whole, little more than clones of the character types described above.

My hope is that if anything, this post establishes the fact that not all Christians are products of what mainstream culture sees Christianity to be. As a young man of faith I can attest to the fact that at first glance you may very well assume me to be a liberal hippy. In many ways that description does fit me however I would like to point out I am also many other things including a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, a Husband, a political independant, a cigar enthusiast, a lover of fine wine and craft beer, a dead head and a person who loves to discuss world faiths and believes in tolerance and respect for others, in addition to so many other things.