SOUR

As a child, I found it complicated to describe a sour taste. I don’t consider it bitter because lime is sweeter than vinegar. Therefore vinegar is bitter, and I can’t place lime in that category. Then also, I can’t call lime sweet because sugar is sweet (lime can’t share that space). So “bitter sweet“, that’s how I resolved to describe the taste of ‘sour‘. In learning the English Language, I was taught the rules of ‘word and opposites.’ In distinguishing, a word is either here or there. It can’t be both at the same time. The opposite of big is small. So if something is big, it can’t be small and vice versa.

What happens when two opposites collide? Oxymoron is the literary answer but in life, I want to call this situation sour.

Now I can start talking. Has anyone here ever felt sour? As in happy yet sad, focused yet confused, faith-up yet doubtful, courageous yet fearful?

We have learnt to believe you are either on one extreme or the other. But I feel sometimes, we are neither fully here or there, we have a mix of two opposites. 

Life can get sour. I wish I could lie to you that you will always either be happy or sad. The truth is sometimes, you just won’t be able to tell if you are happy or sad, focused or confused and you’ll feel like you have fallen apart by being sour. Let’s make a quick reference to two sour situations in the bible. In the book of Matthew, Jesus goes to pray in Gethsemane (Mat. 26:39 ‘And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”). The sorrowful father of a child suffering from epilepsy who came to Jesus for help but met his disciples who were unable to help, as recorded in Mark 9:24 said “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Now, in both examples we see the speakers express opposite feelings going through their mind at the same time. For Jesus is was a matter of WILL (my will vs Your will), for the father of the epileptic boy it was a matter of BELIEF (I believe and I don’t believe)

I just wanted to tell you today that SOUR is not bitter. SOUR is not defeat. SOUR doesn’t mean give up. SOUR means you are ALMOST there. Every time you feel SOUR, it’s a sign that you are at Gethsemane, almost going to Calvary. And by the way, there is no reason to live continuously SOUR when sweetness is a choice.

(c) Elizabeth Ewudiwa

Health Tip: According to http://www.eattasteheal.com, used in moderation, Sour taste stimulates digestion, helps circulation and elimination, energizes the body, strengthens the heart, relieves thirst, maintains acidity, sharpens the senses, and helps extract minerals such as iron from food. It also nourishes all the vital tissues (dhatus) except the reproductive tissues (the exception being yogurt, which nourishes all the tissues).