It Doesn't Matter How You Cut the Cake

The following is part of my final talk in church in Argentina in December 2004.  In that talk I shared an experience that has since been a reminder of overcoming barriers of culture and language to enjoy friendship.  (I gave the talk in Spanish, but this is the translation).

Last year I was at the Fernández home for the birthday party of my friend Laura.  When she cut the cake I watched while she cut a circle in the centre first and then the slices from the circle to the edges of the cake.  I thought 'How strange!'  Her sister Inés was sitting beside me so I asked her, "Is it normal here to cut a circle in the centre of the cake first?"  She told me, "Yes, it's normal".  So I then asked her, "Last week when I brought a cake to the Young Women activity and I didn't cut a circle in the centre (because it's not my custom), what did you think"?  She responded 'How strange!'

This experience reminds me that it isn't important how we cut the cake, but that we enjoy to eat the cake together.  It isn't important that we have different customs, or different experiences, or different languages because we come together to serve and live the gospel.  

It makes me smile that Mexicans cut a cake the same way.  I no longer think, 'How Strange!' but smile at the reminder of making friends while we enjoy eating the cake together.