T(r)oy's Marbles
don't try this at home (a short reflection)
Don’t Try This At Home
Have you ever heard someone stand in line at a fast food restaurant and say, “I’ll have the double Whamy Burger. And could you put extra prunes on that for me, please?” Of course not. Why? Because prunes and burgers don’t go together. Burgers are plump and juicy and tasty (most of the time). And prunes are…well…shriveled and gross. Now that I’ve been forthcoming concerning my feelings about prunes, let me say again: Prunes and burgers don’t go together…right? Wrong. Believe it or not, there is now such a thing as a Prune Burger…
At the Van Ness Elementary School in Washington D.C., a small group of kids were given prune burgers unbeknownst to them. It was part of an experiment to see if the kids would like them. To make a prune burger, you make a prune puree (translation, “prune goo”; yes, there is something grosser than prunes! That would be “prune goo”.) and mix it in with the ground beef. (Don’t try this at home).
Believe it or not, the kids liked the burgers. In fact, some of them said that they tasted better than normal cafeteria food. One 12 year old said, "The hamburger was good. It tastes like a grilled burger." Question: what kind of sick child is this? Some things should just never go together. Some things should just never pass the threshold of your lips.
The Bible says there’s something else that should not go together, something that should never pass the threshold of our lips: blessing and cursing.
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” James 3:9,10
Discouraging words, criticism, slander, lies, gossip, racist language: all are like prune goo. One should just not venture to try it.
Words of praise, encouragement, comfort, appreciation: these things should remain unadulterated with the prune goo of negative talk.
Try this at home because...“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11
teachings | Comments (0) | November 01, 2005