A Feast

"Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85: 10

Babette's Feast (1987-Gabriel Axel) is one of my favorite movies ever.  EVER.  The story, written by Isaak Denison aka Karen Blixen (she wrote Out of Africa, too) is a parable about the extravagance of God's love (plus a few love stories and some food).  This movie convicts me every time.  Truth is not complete without mercy, nor mercy without truth.  I could go on and on, but really, you should just watch it.  To help you decide if it's worth your time (it is) I have included a barebones plot summary.

Two elderly sisters in Jutland passed up the opportunities to get married as young women in order to devote themselves to the work of their pietist sect leader father.  They carry on his work after he dies.  During a storm a woman named Babette seeks shelter in their home and becomes their cook and housekeeper, changing the lives of the sisters and the sect's aging followers. 

Babette (an escapee from France during the turmoil of the French Revolution) renews a lottery ticket in France every year, and one year she wins.  She proposes that she cook a banquet in honor of the sisters' father's 100th birthday anniversary with her money.  The sisters agree, with reservations.  The rest...you'll just have to watch.

PS  You can order the movie through netflix or find it in a movie rental store with a good 'classics' section.  The movie is in several languages, so make sure your subtitles are on unless you are fluent in French, Danish, and a few other European languages.