The Beatitudes of Chili

It's hard to believe that this year is our 12th Annual Chili Cook-off here at the United Methodist Church in Piedmont but there you go.  In honor of tonight's festivities, I wanted to share a tongue in cheek presentation of chili as it relates to the Beatitudes that Jesus presented in the Sermon on the Mount:  

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Chili has never had the sense of being a rich man’s food.  It is a good hearty dish that warms (blesses?) the soul.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.  Chili is comfort food if ever there was some although some chili actually increases your tears rather than decreases them.

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.  There are some chili’s that you should approach with meekness or you may end up regretting it!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.   Can one equate chili with righteousness?  I do know that many find chili to be satisfying to their hunger.

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.  When you declare “mercy” is when you put your bowl down and can’t eat anymore!

This is an Habanero pepper.
It will clear your sinuses!

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.  This one gets a little tricky.  Not sure how many heart-healthy chili’s we'll have tonight.  But if you eat habanero chili, you might see God through the tears.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.  Sometimes those in conflict need to find something to agree on.  Sitting down over a good bowl of chili might just do the trick!

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  I’m not sure about persecuting but I’ve certainly wheedled and needled our church members into bringing chili for the cook-off.  I hope they understand their reward!

If you’re near our zip code, drop by for some delicious chili tonight.  The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for students and the proceeds all go to missions.  We'll serve from 5:30 until 7:00 pm but it's better to get there earlier because some of the more popular flavors run out.  There will be many different varieties – I’m sure you’ll find several you really enjoy!