Have you ever known that you can eat the insides of the seeds of an apple? In fact, I've discovered that they're one of the most delicious parts of the apple. They have a very subtle, nutty grenadine flavor. I just learned this fact from a fellow missioner and now I can't seem to stop eating apples, mostly to get to the yummy seeds inside.
For 33 years I've been eating apples (well, maybe a little less than that since I probably wasn't eating apples when I was a newborn) and throwing away the best part, not even knowing that I'm missing anything.
I think there's got to be some sort of analogy there. Maybe that's what my job will be as a missioner-to seek out the gems that have been discarded by society or others as useless in life and appreciate them for all their beauty and subtly.
5 comments:
Just don't eat too many...
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/apples.asp
Thanks for the warning, but rest assured that it'd take a heck of a lot of seeds to do any damage to me. I think 10 seeds will easily be absorbed into my system without any major problems. Should I draw another metaphor between apple seeds not killing me with not getting sick by people who are discarded by society? Perhaps not...
Oh no--I think you should draw that connection.
I think most people have heard that apple seeds are poisonous. Just like the pain and brokenness of all us (which is most evident in those whom society casts off) is finally NOT compatible with our humanity. Because we're made in God's image, we're communal beings, and our sin-inflicted excommunication (our separation from God and from one another) is, in a very true sense, deadly to us.
But at the same time, we can handle a lot more than we think. I got this all the time, and I'm sure you do, too: people saying "I could never do that..." They think they could never do missionary, for a million reasons. One thing I heard often was that people didn't think they could do JVI because it would be too depressing. Like being around all that human brokenness (laid bare in a way it usually isn't in our comfy culture) would be poisonous. Just like apple seeds.
But the truth is, we can handle it. Provided we're healthy. Provided we have life in Christ. Or a good digestive system.
Good comment, Sean. I was thinking along similar lines. Many people are afraid of society's "discarded" (read: the poor, the sick, the old, etc.). Often people think these situations are contagious or lethal. That perhaps these people are good for nothing, therefore easily discarded. Best to get rid of them quick before they hurt us.
And maybe they will. Or maybe they won't. Maybe each individual person is a gem unto themselves and if we just took the time to seek them out we could be the ones who are transformed.
I really like this post Katie...very though-provoking and makes me also want to try the seeds. :)-Kaiser
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