Hamburgers

Summer solstice! Today is longest day of the year and in the Northern Hemisphere that means the sun is at its farthest northern position. But what that really means to my husband and me is that grilling season is underway. We love to grill out, especially hamburgers. Aren't we original?

Think about the best hamburger you've ever eaten. Not too well done but not rare either. Juicy but not bleeding. Maybe a third pound of lean ground beef. Maybe even Laura's brand. Or maybe your ground beef is simply generic. Then add a thinly sliced Vidalia onion or two, a fresh vine-grown tomato, and lots of dill pickles. A dab of Hellman's mayonnaise and VOILA! Truly a summer solstice treat. But hey, I'm not Paula Dean nor is this a cooking blog.

Instead our focus is primarily on one of the most prolific biblical writers --the apostle Paul. His letters comprise almost half of the New Testament. Strangely their structure reminds me of hamburgers. The meat is always in the middle, often with some juice oozing out. The letter to the church at Colosse, better known as Colossians, begins with a "top bun"layer--a simple greeting followed by appreciation and prayer. Then the first bite exalts Christ's supremacy while the middle digests how our freedom in Christ carries responsibilities for holy living. Because Paul began very personally in this letter, he ends that same way with specific names and instructions, hence the bottom bun.

Structure works for hamburgers as well as good writing. Paul may be grimacing right now at my analogy, but he'd like the taste of communication that is both personal and widely applicable.