Page 34 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 9_2023

Food for Thought

COMMITMENT &

CHOCOLATE

B Y PETER S T OFFBERG

know someone who doesn’t like chocolate. Just
one person. Asking almost any other human
being if they like chocolate is silly, it’s better to
I ask which sort they prefer. It may be the sweeter
kind with chewy textures and contrasting flavours, or
perhaps the pure, dark stuff with its complex bitter
sweet balance.

Good chocolate, regardless of the variation, consists
primarily of cocoa butter and cocoa powder
combined in a precise temperature-controlled
process. This is critical because chocolate hardens
through the formation of up to six different types of
crystal structures, depending on the temperature
and speed of cooling. Only two of these forms result
in a smooth-textured, firm, and great tasting final
product. The presence of the other crystal forms
can quickly spread and wreck the whole structure,
leaving nothing but a sad and expensive mess.

Committed relationships are like chocolate, they also
thrive on purity, the slightest compromise can initiate
a process of sad and costly deterioration.

It was a blessing to witness this kind of unadulterated
and uncommon commitment at a recent wedding
our family attended. The couple not only vowed to
forsake all others and devote themselves to each ON SITE SUNDAY SERVICES @ 9h30
other for life – but had done so all their lives up to www.familychurch.online
that point.
This may be old fashioned, unpopular and difficult, DAINFERN COLLEGE AUDITORIUM
but statistically, it is still the best foundation for a
permanent marriage commitment.
many different religious traditions, rituals and
In our modern context, we have so many choices festivities.
that we avoid making commitments out of fear
of missing out on something better. This fear of Participation in these rituals and festivities seems
missing out drives our decisions, keeps us glued harmless, and these events promise a sense of
to news feeds and social media, and tempts community and connectedness which we are afraid
us to compromise our relationships. This same to miss out on - but are they a compromise?
technological and global context exposes us to
Our faith is not something we can mix and match,
hang back on, and wait for the most exciting options
to present themselves. Our faith is a commitment
to an exclusive loving relationship with our Creator,
lived out on His terms, and He provides His own
rituals and community (1 Corinthians 10:21).

Relationships, like chocolate, work better with purity
and commitment. These are timeless principles -
please think about them as you consider the myriad
of choices you’re faced with today.

6 DPL
issue 10 2022
issue 11 2022
8 DPL
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issue 5 2022
8 DPL issue 11 2022
6 DPL issue 10 2022
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34 DPL issue 9 2023