It is better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate. Proverbs 15:17 (TLB)

Chili is American borscht.

For me, Slavic cuisine was an acquired taste. I came to understand that the staple soup known as borscht had as many variations as babushkas who made it. The Ukrainian version, which lore says is the origin for the soup, is more potato and tomato and lighter meat than the Russian version that is heavier on cabbage and beet. I’ve seen older ladies get into heated debates over how to cook it, even dismissing other versions as nothing more than “just soup.”

The individualized way of cooking is as true or even more true when it comes to us Americans and our chili. We have served chili at events here at the church. It’s a go-to meal for my small group when we eat a meal together. It was my great privilege to serve as a judge at two or maybe even three of our Chili Cook-offs. I still remember the Enstrom chili and the Sohmer chili and another chili from an international that I think took top prize one of the years I judged. Imagine that—a non-American winning the chili cookoff.

And thanks to the Super Bowl, there will likely be more chili eaten this Sunday than any other Sunday of the year. Sure, there’s wings and nachos and pizza, but chili can stay warm through the whole game. People talk about the game or the commercials or the half-time show. Me? I’m thinking about chili.

I’ve been helped along in my thinking by Sam Sifton. He’s the founding editor of the Cooking Section of theNew York Timesamong other things and at the end of January, theTimespublished Sam’s “Our Ultimate Guide to Making the Best Chili.” I like his writing about food so much that he may be the single best secret reason to read or even subscribe.

When it comes to protein, Sam gives all the options: beef, poultry, lamb, game. He talks about beans or no beans. He describes various chilies and tells the difference betweenchilepowder andchilipowder and tells how to make both at home. He gives step-by-step instructions for cooking your chili and then lists all different toppings: fruits, vegetables, herbs, dairy, starches. He mentions cornbread, but I’m flummoxed that there is no mention of adding a little cornmeal to the pot toward the end. The piece concludes with links to five best chili recipes to try. Thank you, Sam.

Food is a powerful sensory experience.

Before they fled Egypt, God’s people had to eat the Passover meal. They had to be ready to flee, but the meal was not a drive-thru eat-as-you-flee event. It was a structured dinner that is still eaten today. Think of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Maybe that was their version of chili. Think of Isaac discerning the identity of his son in part by the food brought to him to eat.

Some of Jesus' miracles were around food—the wedding feast, the miraculous catch of fish, the boy’s lunch that fed thousands. Jesus’ critics did not like the people he ate with. The disciples recognized the risen Jesus when he broke bread.

The Apostle Peter was hungry, and as the food was being prepared, before his food came, a vision of forbidden foods came down from heaven in a sheet, signaling a new freedom and a new way forward that was life-changing. God told him to kill and eat. It took three times for Peter to get it.

There’s something about eating together that is more significant than we realize—especially for Americans. After all, besides chili, we also came up with fast food, because who has time to stop and smell the chili or whatever else we’re about to eat. I believe that Jesus calls us to slow down and to eat together more often, to enjoy both the people and the food at a meal. Every meal can be a celebration, sometimes even a revelation, other times just a respite from all the craziness.

When we read in Scripture, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8), we may devotionalize it away from actual seeing and tasting. But God speaks to us in food in special ways like nothing else. So don’t lose the wonder of your chili in the scrimmages and commercials and half-time entertainment. Turn off the television for a few minutes. Taste the food. Look at the people who are with you. Celebrate together. The food and the people around you are more important than the outcome of the game. Enjoy.

Here's the link to Sam Sifton's “Ultimate Guide to Making the Best Chili.”