Some years ago when I was a pastor, I walked into my church office after
a Sunday morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three
chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous saint who knew my love
for chocolate had placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a
short story written on it. I immediately sat down and began eating the
first brownie as I read the following story.
Two teenagers asked their father if they could go to the theater to
watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews
about the movie on the internet, he denied their request.
"Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13, and we're both
older than thirteen!!" Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity
and portrays immorality, which is something that God hates, as being normal
and acceptable behavior."
"But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! that's what our
friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those
scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! it's based on a true
story, and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes
like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the Christian movie review websites
say that!"
"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to
stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the
good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch
that film. End of discussion."
The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped
down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds
of their father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized
the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the
teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's
going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can
soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade
him to let us go to that movie after all."
About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag
and wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and
the brownies in the story. I kept reading...
The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a
plate of warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one.
Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I
love you both so much." The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing
glances. Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients.
I've made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic --
the best organic flour, the best free-range eggs, the best organic sugar,
premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a
little impatient with their dad's long speech. "But I want to be perfectly
honest with you. There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found
in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back yard. but you
needn't worry, Because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to
your brownies. the amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So
go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think."
"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before
we eat?" "why" The portion I added was so small -- just a teaspoonful.
You won't even taste it." "Come on, Dad, just tell us what that ingredient
is." "Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
"Dad!!!"
"Well, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic...dog poop." I
immediately stopped chewing that second brownie, and I spit it out into
the wastebasket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the
paragraphs that still remained. Both teens instantly dropped their
brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror.
"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us smell those
brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added
dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"
"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of
the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the
other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency
as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"
"No, Dad...NEVER!"
"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie.
You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you
tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not
lead us into temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain
ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that
will lead us into temptation long after we first see it?
I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire
untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute ago had
become detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I
was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn't...but I couldn't
convince myself.)
What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day
of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of
leaven from their homes. Sin is like leaven -- a little bit leavens the
whole lump )1 Cor. 5:6). Jesus, "our Passover" (1 Cor. 5:7), and sin,
don't mix.
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Comments: 16
LOL Hi Carol!
This is food for thought - Just because you have become a Christian; you haven't left this world. - Paul the Apostle.
It had interesting results!
Stephanie (Charlie's Girl) D. I bet her hubby was sitting there trying not to kill himself with laughter. .I know mine would have been laughing. ( He is a minister )
Joan - what were you trying to say here ??