Living Cracked Wide Open

Living Cracked Wide Open

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

I made a mistake one evening, but pawed my way out, so to speak. After nibbling away at a package of pistachios, I had a mere handful left. As I’d just purchased a large can of mixed nuts, I found my pitiful pile of pistachios and dumped them into the canister. Noting that they were the only nuts encased in shells, I was sure they’d be easy to spot.

The best I can figure is those shells serve two purposes. They keep nuts in while at the same time keep us out. In other words, one has to work at eating a pistachio rather than simply grabbing it and popping it into one’s mouth. Eating a pistachio takes time, and it’s a very intentional process. While this nut may offer a small crack from which one can see the much desired piece of protein, it still takes muscle to crack wide open to get at the gem within. As the others in this container had no shells, they could be readily chewed with little effort.

Truth be told, I was doing just that. With little effort, I was chewing away at a handful when all of a sudden the jolt of an outer shell hit full force upon my tooth and reverberated throughout my jaw-line.  I was lucky enough to react sooner than later, and no damage was done, so to speak. However, I quickly began fishing for the other culprits hidden within to get them out of the canister before others might have a mishap.  They were officially camouflaged, and it was no easy task to paw, claw, and sift through the large tin for any remaining remnants of my pistachios.

Efforts increased as I was intent on utilizing every last nut within that container for the traditional Christmas recipe in hand.  I dumped, poured, heated, and cooled the clusters of goods keeping an eye out for any possible jawbreakers chomping at the bit to do damage. As I finished my task and clearance was given, I divided up the freshly baked goods for gifts.

This episode offered a little insight and set me to wondering. It made me wonder just how many of us live like nuts. We keep outer shells on to keep others out, while at the same time those shells keep us inside…hidden away…feeling as if we are somehow safer.

Truth is, once that nut is ripe and ready, the shell could actually keep it from serving its ultimate purpose. Its ultimate purpose is to feed and enrich others with the protein from within. The purpose of the nut is to offer sustenance, and when in the shell too long, that which was meant to nourish, simply rots…while those living cracked wide open have opportunity to be poured out for purposes beyond measure.

During this Christmas season,  I am grateful for Luke 1:42. “And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.” You sent this fruit of the womb to enrich, feed, and fill. May we eat that which truly nourishes and live by sharing the fruit of the womb…Jesus.  Amen.