Like many classic Spanish dishes, a basic dish of paella is a simple combination of just a few ingredients: rice, seafood, and a handful of vegetables. Other than these ingredients, the dish is flavored with a single spice—saffron.

Saffron itself is fascinating. Prized for its qualities as both a spice and a coloring agent, it has been traded for thousands of years. Saffron is not made; it is harvested from flowers. When a certain type of crocus flower is in bloom, delicate inner structures of the flower (stigmas and styles) are carefully plucked by hand. These deep-maroon, threadlike parts are then dried. Because of the difficulty related to cultivating and harvesting saffron, it is by far the most expensive of all spices—more expensive, pound for pound, than gold.

Fortunately, a little bit goes a long way. Just a small pinch of saffron crushed with a mortar and pestle will season a dish of paella large enough to feed a dozen people. It doesn't just infuse the dish with its telltale bright yellow color; it imparts a heady, earthy aroma and a flavor that leaves a deep impression on both your palate and your memory.

According to Jesus, faith is like that. Like a mustard seed, or perhaps a saffron thread, a little bit goes a long way and leaves a lasting impression.