A Nice, Buttery, Spiritual Lesson From a Food Show

Before I jump in, I want to thank you for the incredible amount of love, kindness, and support you poured out on me last weekend as I was having some health concerns. As of right now, things are still unresolved, but I’m still kicking and awaiting answers. I will keep you updated.

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We are very late to the Masterchef party. We recently started watching the reality cooking show and have really been enjoying it from all the way back at the beginning (2010). As we were working our way through the first handful of seasons, something from Season 4 impressed me. (Since it was from 11 years ago, I’m not concerned about any spoilers.)

The top three finalists were competing to get to the championship round. One man, Luca, and two women, Natasha and Jessie had to create meals to impress the judges. The loser would be sent home. As they were cooking, Jessie realized that she had forgotten to grab some butter with her ingredients. Chef Gordon Ramsey asked her how she was going to resolve her predicament. She replied that she would have to ask one of the other two competitors to bail her out.

She first went to Natasha and asked if she could borrow one tablespoon of butter, as Natasha had three sticks that she wasn’t using. After thinking for a moment, Natasha slowly shook her head. Jessie wheeled to go back to her station.

Luca called out, “Jessie!” and threw an entire stick of butter to her, which she caught. She thanked him and resumed cooking.

The judges were curious as to why Luca would do such a thing. One judge, Joe, even said, “He might have just thrown away a quarter-million dollars.”

I was impressed by Luca’s kindness, even in the heat of battle. To add irony, earlier in the competition, Natasha found herself in the exact same situation, and Luca bailed her out in the exact same fashion. (I guess she didn’t learn much from her experience.)

One of the cameramen asked Luca why he did it, and this was his response (read with an Italian accent):

“I don’t think a piece of butter is going to make her dish stand out that much. If it does, good for her. I’m going home. Tomorrow, I can still look at myself in the mirror. I’m a good guy. Forget about it.”

He was a good guy, but he didn’t end up losing to Jessie. In fact, he ended up winning the whole competition and become the Champion.

I turned to Chrissie and said, “Looks like nice guys don’t always finish last.”

(I have included a video of the interaction below.)

Cue President Russel M. Nelson as he addressed us in General Conference last Sunday. He counseled with great intensity:

“The present hostility in public dialogue and on social media is alarming. Hateful words are deadly weapons. Contention prevents the Holy Ghost from being our constant companion.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should lead the way as peacemakers. As charity becomes part of our nature, we will lose the impulse to demean others. We will stop judging others. We will have charity for those from all walks of life. Charity towards all men is essential to our progress. Charity is the foundation of a godly character.

Let us plead with our Heavenly Father to fill our hearts with greater charity—especially for those who are difficult to love—for charity is a gift from our Heavenly Father for true followers of Jesus Christ. The Savior is the Prince of Peace. We are to be His instruments for peace.” (link)

Moroni shared his father’s teaching that “And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked.” (Moroni 7:45)

I’ve thought a lot about these ideas lately, amplified by President Nelson’s counsel and small examples I see around me – like Luca’s. The prophet is right on the money when he spoke to the “hostility in public dialogue and on social media.”

Social media is worse than ever. My feed is full of people stirring the pot of contention. Many post half-truths to further an agenda, some flat-out lie. Some post the actual truth under the guise of “informing,” but with the purpose of creating controversy – because the purpose is surely not to win hearts. Others call names and make blanket insults and accusations against their targets and their fellow participants. Some do it subtly, some unintentionally, but contention is often the goal, or at least the byproduct. Some are more blatant. It’s been this way for a long time, but lately, it has become something more. We have reached some next-level judging of others. The railings seem to shout louder than the moments of kindness and empathy that would qualify as “charity.”

I am cognisant of this because I have been that person. I’ve stirred plenty of pots and flexed my caustic muscles in my time. Lately, I have made a concerted effort not to be that person anymore. (Old dog, new tricks?) Often, I’m tempted to jump in, but refrain most of the time. (I ain’t perfect, but I’m learning!) I can gauge my progress by the countless times I have typed something biting or argumentative – then deleted it and scrolled on. I’m getting faster at deleting the things that slip through. I count each of those times as a win.

You may rightly ask, “Why even bother? Why not just delete your apps and walk away?” Valid question. My answer is this: When social media is good, it can be really good. It is a way to communicate with my readers, and keep up with the lives of friends and family. It supplies a never-ending stream of jokes. Social media can also be a powerful force for good if you can weed through tares.

We need to knock it off. The cost is too high.

One of the things that impressed me about Luca’s butter toss was the simple statement he made after. “Tomorrow, I can still look at myself in the mirror. I’m a good guy.“

I admire that confidence. I want to be able to declare that “I’m a good guy,” and then back it up in such a way that I am confident that there is no dispute.

President Nelson added, “As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord. Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase.”

“Intentional steps” start with what Dr. Leo Marvin calls “Baby Steps.”