Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, October 31, 2026
Friday afternoon of this week Shelley gave me a couple of surprises. The first one I’ll mention in a moment, but in the photo you see the second.
So, what is this a photo of? If I didn’t know the backstory, my first thought would be, “Is this part of a map of a few little-known Indonesian islands?” The faint white grid-lines make the map-resemblance stronger, but the white lettering might remind experienced bakers of parchment paper.
Sure enough, parchment paper is what it is. But what about the imprints? This brings us to Surprise One, which Shelley gave me to eat. These are the marks of the beet segments she roasted (if that’s the correct verb), and they were superb, and make me want to go down to the refrigerator and see if she has any left.
But on an aesthetic level, these beet-prints are positively beautiful. They spent a few moments on the parchment paper, and they left beauty behind them. I can imagine an artist using those images as inspiration for part of an exhibit. They’re that evocative, to me at least.
Those beets are kind of like you and me. We too leave imprints on our world. Think back to the memory of a childhood friend, or a favorite teacher or coach. I myself think fondly about an old South Dakota farmer named Archie, who grinned with delight every time he greeted me at church. The imprint he left on my life was a gentle, friendly, happy one.
To find some of what the Bible says about friendship, click below.