A Different Kind of Tigetherness

Last week, my wife attempted to make enchilada sauce from scratch—a desperate move after Trader Joe’s discontinued our favorite kind. She followed the recipe with care and love, but something was off. We knew it wouldn’t taste exactly like the one we loved, but it also lacked the depth of flavor that makes a dish come alive.

So, I decided to give it a try. My version was bold—full of spice and heat, rich with intensity. But in my enthusiasm, I may have gone too far. It was a wee bit too fiery. As we both gasped for breath, I agreed we needed another approach.

But rather than wasting more time and ingredients, we decided to combine the two sauces. To our surprise, the result was perfect—an unexpected balance of flavors neither of us had anticipated.

It struck me how often our political and religious worlds mirror this struggle. We’re either too mild or too hot, too timid or too angry. And when we stand firm in our positions, convinced only one side can be right, something is missing. It’s not as good as it could be.

What if, instead of fighting for dominance, we blended the best of our different ideas, values, and perspectives into something that works for everyone? What if, like those sauces, we allowed what seems incompatible to come together to create something richer, deeper, and more whole?

At Anamesa, each of us brings a different ingredient to the mix. But only in blending together does the gospel truly come to life. Just as our sauces needed each other to find their harmony, we too can build a community of love where differences—political, cultural, or personal—become the very ingredients for unity.
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Perhaps the secret to making the kingdom of heaven come alive isn’t in eliminating the heat or the mildness, but in coexisting with Christ and one another—creating something new and surprising in the space between.