Tuesday 11 May 2010

chocolate theology 2

I used to go to a church where the pastor's favourite verse was "The Lord delights in fatness".
I still remember him preaching a sermon about God's love, and one of his illustrations involved Kit-Kats. He described in great detail the process of unwrapping it, snapping it and biting into it - only to discover it was SOLID CHOCOLATE. There had been a 'happy accident' and somehow the biscuit had not made it into the Kit-Kat. And God's love was solid all the way through, but unlike the Kit-kat, it wasn't a happy accident, it was meant to be like that....

Just another random thought as to why God is like chocolate - I think it was T S Elliot who said that mankind could not bear too much reality. We can't cope with too much exposure to God - much prefer the watered down version as being more palatable. Me, I like the British chocolate that the Europeans don't think is chocolatey enough to count as 'chocolate'. I once made the mistake of getting some 90% chocolate and put 4 pieces in my mouth at once (yes, this is the way I usually eat chocolate!). I couldn't speak for quite some time, and suddenly understood why chocolate was seen as a dangerous stimulant when it first appeared. It was rather different to what I thought chocolate was.....

5 comments:

  1. I had a solid plain chocolate Breakaway Bar once, sans biscuity interior. I still remember the ecstasy of it.

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  2. the kit kat thing has happened to me before, I can only describe it as "pure pleasure"

    If God is like chocolate does that mean he is ultimatlely bad for you? Because chocolate makes you fat and ruins you teeth. Just a question..?

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  3. That's a question and a half! Is God bad for you?
    I don't think he makes you fat or ruins your teeth ;-)
    But following a God who got crucified and told his followers to imitate his example doesn't suggest a very comfortable existance...
    I would say that God is ultimately good for us (I think it was Augustine who said 'our hearts are restless til they find their rest in God') . Whether God is currently 'good' for us depends on what you think 'good' means. If it means being comfortable and feeling nice then NO! If it means becoming what you're meant to be, then yes.
    Would my life be alot easier if I weren't trying to follow Jesus? Right now - most definitely YES. Does that mean it's bad for me? And is that the most important question?

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  4. lost in the crowd20 May 2010 at 07:48

    hmm, thought provoking answer! Really did get me thinking, I have met a lot of christians who tell me that if I "ask Jesus in to my life then I will find happiness and 'joy'" They also say that if I follow what God wants for me then things will 'work out' I am frustrated by this! What if what God wants for me isn't what I want? What if I want , for example, to peruse my dream job, but God has other plans? Surely this won't make me 'happy' this will frustrate me!

    "Would my life be alot easier if I weren't trying to follow Jesus? Right now - most definitely YES." could I ask you something? Why? Why do you follow Jesus when he is obviously making your life complicated? Sorry for the personal question, you can ignore it if you like, I'm just another person going through a rough time with God right now. Maybe like you said "is this the most important question?" I need to start asking the right questions.

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  5. Thanks for the comments, made me think too.
    Is the point of God to make me personally happy? Or is it something else? And if it's something else, then what? And what does it have to do with me?

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