So today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day. Well it was when I started writing this on Wednesday (LOL). I love blogging and sometimes the words seem to just flow from my brain faster than I can type them. Other times, I start and delete and start and delete, never quite satisfied with the ideas for my blog post. Sometimes it helps for me to go sit in our prayer and meditation garden, as a change of scenery sometimes helps. Other times, I will go fix myself a cup of tea or coffee. None of that was really working this week, until I did a search on the Pampered Chef website for chocolate cupcakes because Wednesday was National Chocolate Cupcake Day. What really spoke to me were three recipes one for a white chocolate cupcake with truffle filling, one for a red velvet cupcake, and one for a dark chocolate truffle cupcake. I have made the white chocolate and dark chocolate recipes a few times because I love how messy they are to eat. I love the melted chocolate that seeps out.
It was these images of “chocolate” which spoke to my soul, especially as a light skinned biracial woman. When I was pastoring, a few congregants would remind me that they were chocolate. I would then smile and remind them that chocolate comes in a wide diversity of colors. I remember once being told I was not chocolate enough to be chocolate and that white chocolate is not chocolate. Interestingly enough there is a similar debate about whether or not white chocolate, which is made from the same cocoa butter as all other chocolates, is really chocolate.
Staring at these cupcakes reminded me of how we are so focused on the external that we do not appreciate the awesomeness and the presence of the Divine in each other. The White Chocolate, Red Velvet, and Dark Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes are made of basically the same ingredients, baked in the same pan, at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. Are there minor differences? Sure. However, all three are equally delicious and each brings experiences of pleasure while eating them. You may prefer one over the other, however, at the end of the day they are just differently flavored and colored cupcakes.
We are all unique human beings. There is not, never has been, and never will be, another single human being exactly like us. So regardless of what kind of “cupcake” you are, remember that, like the cupcakes, we are all created from basically the same ingredients, baked in the same “pan,” at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. May we spend our time focusing on how much beauty, talent and gifts we bring to this world, while recognizing and celebrating the mystery who gives us questions we may never have A answer to in our lives.
BTW, here are the recipes for all three should you want to make any, or all, of these chocolate cupcakes