I've never really understood why people should choose tomato juice as their drink when out with friends. I understand that it is probably a very healthy concoction but for some reason, I tend to associate it with savoury things, but not as a liquid with which I can either quench my thirst or even enjoy. I think it's maybe something to do with the texture - it's just a bit think and too viscous for my palate. And after you have had one tomato juice, do you just order another? I'm not sure I could cope with that though I fully appreciate that for some folks, it is the perfect drink to consume.It reminds me of another juice drink that I used to consume, made from the aloe plant and taken in small amounts as advertised by various health gurus whom I knew. It came in a plastic one litre bottle, complete with small, clear, plastic beaker that held about fifty millilitres at the most. It was a clearish, very viscous liquid with the consistency of phlegm, though the latter may have tasted better and I soon found out that fifty millilitres is a huge amount when you're not enjoying yourself. Safe to say that I would have willingly swapped the bottle for several litres of tomato juice any day and at the price I was paying for it, I soon began to realise that my health guru friends had possibly other more pressing financial interests than my physical well being. However I kept at it until I had finished the whole bottle, a mini personal triumph, but I didn't return for seconds and I can't honestly say whether I benefited from the experience or just learned a lot about other people.
Some time later I came into contact with another juice, this time from the mistletoe plant though this was a much more painful experience. I became acquainted with it through a mutual friend of the family who worked in medical research and was also a qualified doctor. Having suffered from a physically debilitating condition for some months amplified by a back injury, neither of which was life threatening but nonetheless, depressing, I took the plunge to meet Harry at a relative's house. He arrived on time, wearing a white raincoat and sporting glasses and after a few minutes of introduction during which time he became more aware of my symptoms, he produced from his raincoat pocket, a syringe filled with a liquid and with those encouraging words, 'this will hurt a bit,' he plunged the needle somewhere into my lower back. As he rubbed the surface to spread the solution around, he informed me that it was mistletoe juice and that I would probably feel pretty lifeless for the rest of the day but that it would soon start to do its job. I returned several times for the same treatment and over a period of time, began to see a definite improvement but while there was never any financial charge for the treatment, save for the few pounds that I offered to him, I couldn't help wondering if at times I was just a guinea pig for one of his research projects or if he really did know that the mistletoe juice would do a job.
Recently while I was thinking about him, I did a little of my own research into the juice and discovered that it has long been used as a treatment for a variety of conditions including some forms of cancer, reproductive disorders, epilepsy, other nervous system problems, warts, pain relief and for boosting the immune system, so maybe I wasn't such a guinea pig after all.
My favourite juice of course was one that mum used to make when any of us had a bad cold or fever and it involved squeezing two or three lemons into a little glass juicer, removing the pips, adding some water and lots of sugar and bringing the whole thing to nearly boiling on the cooker top. What a delightful drink it made, so good in fact that down the years we have reproduced the drink, with the addition of one or two other citrus fruits, especially oranges, and usually a spoonful or two of honey and even if it never cures any of us from the common cold, well at least we sneeze and cough with a little glow inside of us.
For quite a few years now, wife has been a bit of an expert at making mulled wine and while there are some lovely 'Christmas' ingredients such as cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander, undoubtedly the key addition is that smooth, dry cranberry juice that just makes Christmas.
When we have communion and we drink the wine or juice provided, we remember that it stands as a symbol of the blood which Jesus shed for our sins. He says 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.' It's not a drink to be taken lightly nor without consideration of what God has done for us. It is in fact a drink which joins everyone who believes, to Jesus, accepting his offer of salvation and renewing our commitment to Him. But for someone who doesn't believe, the taking of communion is no more than a ritual act that has no out working in their every day lives. Paul clarifies this when he writes 'For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he come.' And he also adds in Corinthians, 'You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.' Are you ready to drink the juice of the vine and allow it to penetrate every fibre of your being?
