What do oyster sauce, vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, honey, ginger, matcha powder, and Sichuan pepper have in common? They were all ingredients in the hodgepodge beverage Isabel Ong whipped up in her kitchen the night before a friend got married. She served the drink to the groom and his groomsmen as part of a Chinese wedding custom called “door games,” in which the bridesmaids design a set of challenges for the groom and his wedding party.
The custom, which Ong notes is carried out in good humor, arises from the belief that the bride is precious and will not be given to the groom easily. The groom and his groomsmen are required to choke down profound sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors to indicate that the couple will be able to stomach any of the difficulties life lobs their way.
As Ong mixed the concoction, she realized she lacked one of the key flavors: bitterness, which isn’t just vital to the custom but to the Chinese way of life. The words chi ku (吃苦) translate to “eat bitterness,” explains Ong in a recent CT article, and it’s a fundamental concept in Chinese culture.
Ong notes that this idea has helpful overlap with Christ’s suffering on the cross. But, she explains, it’s not a complete perspective. For the Christian, eating bitterness is not simply a step toward self-mastery (or marriage, for that matter). Instead, the Christian endures suffering with godly hope in mind.
May we remember that pain inevitably comes our way, we are not simply called to deal with it. Instead, we can call upon Jesus who sympathizes with our weaknesses, finding ourselves comforted even as we eat bitterness.
