the theology of eggs

My professor pastor taught me that there is a theology of everything. That is, there is a biblical, Jesus-story/lesson to everything.

Julia Roberts, in Runaway Bride, taught me that every person should have a favorite kind of egg. Not someone else's favorite, but your own--because you've taken the time to try them all.

Thus, we have a theology of eggs.

Scrambled eggs are almost always the go-to egg. It's the simplest and safest. Order the scrambled and you can probably rest easy knowing that no one can screw those up. Add some pepper and melted cheese and you've really got something. Throw those on top of a skillet, beside some bacon, or just with those square, seasoned ranch potatoes and you have a great meal to begin your day.

Over-easy or over-medium eggs require some risk. If you're anything like my husband, knowing when to flip those things over is somewhat of a challenge, and when to take them off is even worse. Too runny and you'll have that goopy white stuff sloshing around your teeth, too hard and it's like chewing rubber. Sunny side up may seem easier, but that all depends on your level of likeness of the goop...

An omelet; now that kind of egg is full of complex-ness, but always neat and tidy. From the outside, this omelet has it all--a beautiful appearance, cheese (hopefully) some goodies on the inside and totally customizable. You want mushrooms? You got it. Tomatoes and ham? Sure thing. Or maybe you're the avocado, steak, and pico person, living on the edge. I can dig that.

But for me, I'll take eggs Benedict every time. This egg takes skill and practice--lots of risk, too, attention to detail and great consideration and care. Plus, you still have the customizable option. I've had the regular--ham, English muffin--and I've had the crazy kind--quinoa, spinach, and mushrooms. Of course, always loaded and topped with hollandaise. Do all of this well, and it's even better and prettier than the omelet.

I heard a sermon once of how often we scramble eggs. We take these gifts, these people in our lives, all our wonderful free will, deep desires, and turn them into a scrambled mess. We make bad choices, keep searching for more and getting too much, hurting people-intentionally and unintentionally-and causing some issues. The good news is that God can top any scrambled eggs with the best cheese, making it something really great.

We get a little scared of the risk it takes to believe in Jesus. We get weary of the decisions we'll have to make, the things we'll have to say not to, the people we'll have to forgive or apologize to, and the people that will judge us when we step into their church. We even get worried that someone else will come in a screw the whole thing up. The risk involved in knowing this guy Jesus is hard for our minds to comprehend--we don't know one human who is perfect, keeps all their promises, and never disappoints, so it seems too risky to believe in one who fulfills all of those characteristics.

And I do think that some people have it all together; I think they are living good lives, making themselves and others happy, always staying patient and kind, and really getting what they want out of life. But I'm guessing they're the exception. I'm guessing that many of us have a lot of things on the inside that are still scrambled, no matter how beautiful we look on the outside. I'm guessing we stuff things in even if those things are tearing us apart. Again, we're afraid of the risk.

So, give me the life of eggs Benedict any day. This egg (me, now) has been scrambled and has scrambled many things, over and over. In fact, I bet that I'll continue to scramble when I intend to poach. But the character behind my trying, my hoping, and my risk-taking overcomes the scrambled-ness every time. I like complexity, I like challenges, and most of all I like that I can continually be changed and transformed by my Creator. He will never let me be boring, He will never throw me in the trash or feed me to the birds. I am beautiful in my own way and in His eyes.

What kind of egg do you like, or what kind of egg are you today? Are you willing to take a risk and be transformed, do you feel like you've scrambled the hell out of everything and out of yourself, or do you want to continue acting like it's all put together? You're loved, no matter how you fry that egg--no matter how you feel or what you do today. You're loved like I love eggs Benedict on a patio in summertime. (That's a lot-a lot!)