Difficult to Resist

My breakfast show cohost and I were discussing what we thought were the worst tasting vegetables. And we found —to absolutely no one’s surprise— that a lot of people despised brussels sprouts. I was one of the many who had them at the very top of the list of foods I dislike. I was raised in a home where we children didn’t get to be picky when it came to food, but brussels sprouts were a bridge too far for me. And that morning on our radio program, it seemed that almost everyone agreed.

While visiting Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, I noticed a sign describing brussels sprouts as “Little Green Balls of Death.” Once we had concluded the unscientific poll on our breakfast show, we were inundated with calls from defenders of the brussels sprout. “No, you’re all wrong,” they told us.

Person after person said that while brussels sprouts have an unfortunate reputation in certain circles, the key to enjoying them is in how you prepare them. “If you just boil them to death,” people said, “they’ll be awful.

But if you prepare them right” —and we were given myriad suggestions as to how this is properly done— “they’re fantastic!” As it happens, time has done its work on me, and I now love brussels sprouts.

Evidently, something might not be as bad as it seems if you give it a chance by presenting it right. Is it possible more people would respond positively to Christianity if it was presented attractively? Ellen White said that “the strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.”* If Christianity is boiled to death, it isn’t going to be palatable. But when the love of God is presented appropriately, it is hard not to appreciate. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Too much salt isn’t palatable, but the right amount enhances the taste. When we present it in an attractive way, the gospel is difficult to resist.