Peas and carrots served alongside meat and potatoes was the classic weekly meal for most nights of the week when I was growing up in the 1970s. These days our household weekly menu includes cuisine from many different countries, not always with meat, and seldom served with a side dish of peas and carrots. Yet these two very different vegetables are still considered a classic ‘go together’ side dish in New Zealand and other countries. As the saying goes, peas and carrots belong together, very different from each other, complementing each other, and working alongside each other (albeit as the supporting act for the main event on the plate).
I wonder how it came to be that peas and carrots were served together. Maybe it’s because their bright colours brighten the plate? Maybe it’s because they are different shapes and this is visually pleasing? Possibly it’s about their taste profile when eaten together? Maybe it’s that these were the vegetables grown in home gardens and available at markets? That they are different from each other is clear.
Our prayers today celebrate difference and yet also celebrate connection and belonging.
If you’re not a big fan of peas and carrots, adapt the prayers to fit with your favourite seasonal vegetables that go together.
On the journey
Caroline
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