Sip 58: What about TeaSpirit, BreadSpirit & Olive OilSpirit?
Occasionally people question the notion that wine, as a consumable, has a unique connection to spirituality. Those familiar with the Tea Ceremony appreciate its special, even spiritual qualities. Home baked and artisan breads evoke in many people a special spirit and an elevated awareness of human connectivity with the earth and its bounty. Cooking with olive oil accentuates the highest quality of preparation of a meal with an ancient ingredient. Varieties of bottled spring and mineral waters evoke, in some, awareness of life's preciousness and its sources. Many cannot start a new day without CoffeeSpirit.
To connect with, and enjoy, these other tastes of life, in such special ways, is an essential goal of WineSpirit. Wine, throughout its history, provides access points to spirituality, to noticing and celebrating particular moments and blessings of life. With tea, bread, coffee and so many special taste treats, you are given opportunities to notice and appreciate one of life's little blessings, even miracles. What sets wine apart from all these and other special "fruits" is that wine alone exists, from the start, and in varieties of cultures, as a beverage whose purpose is to see, acknowledge and enjoy life's precious moments, whether in religious settings or in otherwise ordinary ones. Wine serves to remind you to savor the bread and the care with which it was baked. It helps you appreciate other ceremonies that elevate life apart from normal usage, such as tea. It calls to mind that behind the jolt of caffeine that awakens you to a new day is a special blend of coffee that you have chosen.
Indeed FoodSpirit or LifeSpirit, the joys of nature, of art, and of all manner of marvels in daily life, provide ongoing invitations to see and celebrate countless blessings of life. WineSpirit, however, is the one unique spiritual access point that exists, at its core, in order to shed light on all the other spiritual access points that await your notice.
Reflection Questions for Sippin'
- What special treats or tastes in your day awaken you to the preciousness of life?
- How do music and art and ________ serve as spiritual access points?
- How could/does pausing to notice and celebrate some facet of life add to the quality of the rest of your day?
