Coco Calling No.259 - The Lure of the Cornish Pasty!

My owner isn’t anyone very exceptional. He gets up in the morning, goes to bed in the evening, and sometimes does a few things in the middle of the day. But apart from that, he’s really rather ordinary. Well, that is except in one respect. For despite having had four sinus operations and losing his sense of smell, he can somehow sniff out a good Cornish Pasty from around half a mile away. Yes, he certainly has a thing about pasties, and you could probably call him a “pasty connoisseur”. So much so that when work started on the new extension where we live, he was tempted to have it made out of pasties rather than bricks and breezeblocks. (Thank goodness he has a sensible wife!)

A couple of weeks ago, my owner found himself in the Cornish town of Falmouth. And this happens to be where, in 1949, a human called Bill Rowe, opened up a baker’s shop which made the most sumptuous of all pasties. So some 74 years later, my owner simply had to go and sniff it out, and before long, he found himself in pasty Heaven! Not only were there traditional pasties with all kinds of different fillings, but in the window, there was even a Cornish Pasty Sailing Ship!

I’m sure my owner would have bought it, had it been for sale, but he still managed to over-indulge on the regular offerings! And some thirty minutes later, he had indigestion. Bad indigestion. And it was then that he remembered a rather relevant piece of scripture:

“If you find honey, eat just enough - too much of it, and you will be ill.” (Proverbs 25: 16)

The sad thing is that this has happened many times before, but just like a Labrador in a butcher’s shop, my owner simply can’t stop himself. The sobering truth is that Cornish Pasties lead him towards the sin of gluttony. And the wise author of proverbs goes on to say that:

“He that hath no control over his own spirit is like a city whose walls are broken down.”

(Proverbs 25: 28)

The sin of “pasty gluttony” isn’t as bad as some other sins, but it still goes to prove that humans are essentially flawed creatures. And it’s only when they begin to realise this and show some humility that God can get to work in them. None of us are perfect, but by seeking God’s forgiveness, we can always be made whole again…

“I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” (Augusten Burroughs: [1965-present]: American writer)

“Jesus Christ knows the worst about you. Nonetheless, He is the one who loves you most.”

(A.W. Tozer: [1897-1963]: American Christian pastor and author)

“Why does God use flawed people? Because there is no other kind.”

(Dr. Greg Mazak: [DofB unknown]: Current American Christian pastor, conference speaker and Professor)

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

(C.S. Lewis: [1898-1963]: Northern Irish writer, scholar and lay theologian)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

(1 John: 1:9)