ON MASTER CHEF COMPETITION AND CONVICTION By Jeff Gatdula My wife and I have been following the US TV Series Master

Chef, now on its fourth season. No, we do not have direct access to the show but we patiently wait for every episode to be uploaded in Youtube and download it from there. I love to watch this simply because of the following reasons: (a) It is about giving opportunities. The show gives an opportunity to aspiring home cooks to become great chefs. I love to see and hear stories with humble beginnings. Stories of ordinary people being given that 'break' or divine appointment to nally unleash all of heaven's creativity through them and showcase their brilliant talent that leave all of us wanting for more. (b) It is about celebration of gifts. Despite its nature being a competition, and the expert opinions, assessments and observations given by the three judges, one must not overlook that this program is a celebration of the individual gifts we have been given. I love it when we celebrate and not just criticise. I love it when unknown home cooks are suddenly given the chance to present the dish they have been keeping in their own kitchens; one the have been keeping in their hearts and in their minds. So much for the program. I wrote this piece as a reection to one of the beautiful things my wife and I saw in at least two episodes of the show. And that made our heart cheer for this particular contestant. The second time we witnessed that same act of honour and integrity, this contestant already became the winner of the season as far as we are concerned. Pressures can really be tough especially if your reputation is at stake (Much more, if this is in a form of a competition before a national television,

or perhaps greater than that, a global audience). Sometimes, when we are faced with this 'elimination' challenge, we are forced to do things we have never done before in order to continue in the game or just to 'belong in the group.' Not this man. We watched in at least two episodes where he shared vital ingredients, on each occasion, to his opponents (they forgot to get it from the pantry/supply). After all, as he said in the commentary, he wants to win fair and square and not just because some opponent of his lack something which can be a critical in the avour of the dish. These are the things we witnessed: Episode 21, beginning with 23:27 Natasha: Luca can I use some garlic? Luca (Commentary): Natasha asked me for some garlic, why should I not give it to Natasha? That's not the way I am! That's not the way I want to win! Episode 21, 40:15 part -- Episode 24, beginning with 26:20 and these words are found in 27:05 Luca: I don't think that a piece of butter will make her dish stand out that much. If it does, good for her I'm going home and tomorrow I can still look at myself in the mirror These may be insignicant as far as we are concerned, as far as you are concerned. But not in my case. This is a big deal. These glimpses are evidences that there are still who will choose to stand up for the good they believed in rather than settle for being comfortable or simply because they are in a competition. These minute snapshots in the episodes I have enumerated may be negligible or can be easily dismissed as we look at the bigger picture or in a larger scale. But you see, these small things are the

ones that make a huge difference after some time. In the same way that rusts and wound affect a part of the whole over time, these small demonstrations of good, when combined together with others who possess the same values and vision will create a tremendous impact in the generations to come. As believers we are called to believe in something. And the values that we hold dear and the principles that we embrace and celebrate form part of who we are and what we are called to be in our lifetime. Let us not exchange our true identity for just for a bowl of porridge, or the sake of convenience/comfort or even because we are in a competition. Let us stand up for who we really are, how good we really are and how grateful we are for this life no matter what we have been through or whatever may come our way. When we do this, we become accurate representations of the One who is good, of the One who gave His all for you and me. Let your light shine for the whole world to see that you really belong to Him who is Faithful and True.

PS. Luca, went on to become the next Master Chef (Season 4). I think this is just the icing on the cake, because even without the trophy, he already won our hearts based on the way he conducted himself during the competition and how his goodness has been consistently demonstrated.