We have explored the necessity of good and proper ingredients in The Kitchen, especially those of Inquiry, Trust and Compassion. Any time spent cooking in The Kitchen, though, helps us understand that knowing what to do and how to use various ingredients is important.
While I love to read and have a life long commitment to academic learning, I have found over the years that one of the quickest ways for me to learn is for someone else to show me how to do something. I took two semesters of piano courses in college and made virtually no progress in playing the piano (even though I got A’s both semesters!) but when my wife, who has been playing the piano all her life, sat down at the piano and showed me chord progressions, I was beginning to play familiar songs within the hour.
What does Inquiry look like? How does one practice Trust? What does Compassion feel like, and how do I practice it? Asking these kinds of questions takes these words out of the academic, heady sphere, that many of us like to live in, and puts them in our hands and hearts to use.
Who do you know who is really adept at asking good questions? Watch them. Learn from them the recipe for Inquiry. Who do you know who seems to have good, lasting, deep relationships? Learn from them the recipe for Trust. Who do you know who embodies the art and skill of Compassion? Feel into how they practice this wonderful ministry and learn the recipe for Compassion.
Likely, as you have read the above questions, certain individuals come to your mind. Take them into your heart and soul today, and begin to learn from them. Ponder and reflect on how it is they do what they do. Consider the possibility of a conversation with them. Affirm what you see in them and ask them how they learned the recipes for Inquiry, Trust and Compassion. This is how novices in The Kitchen grow to become skilled chefs.
Bob Patrick
