Sugar on Top

Aug 28

We are all familiar with the refrain we often sing taken from Psalm 34: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” Go ahead, sing it! I’ve loved those words since I was young, but I always had trouble connecting the sense of taste to the sense of sight. How can I taste and see?

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I would often wake up early in the morning to see my dad before he went to work. I would hear him downstairs around 4:30 am, and I would pop out of bed so I could eat a bowl of cereal with him.

There is something you should know about cereal in the Newman house. My mom was adamantly opposed to sugary cereal. I expect her opposition was a result of her dad being a dentist. However, my dad didn’t share my mom’s opinion. Early in the morning with my dad, I would pour a bowl of cereal for myself, and he would open the cupboard and bring out the jar of sugar. Over my bland cereal, my dad would sprinkle a little sugar on top.

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” What did I learn in those early mornings? I learned the connection between goodness and sweetness. I now imagine the psalmist singing, “Taste and see the sweetness of the Lord.”

I treasure this memory with my dad. He taught me to “put a little sugar on top.” I think of the goodness of these times, and I connect them to sweetness. I think this is the insight of the psalmist. Even when goodness appears distant, recall when you first experienced a God of sweetness.

May God be praised!