Leftovers

As a kid I was always fascinated by the comic strip called "Blondie."  I never understood what the point of the comic was (still don't) but the main character, Dagwood, has this thing with food that is unbelievable.  Rail thin, Dagwood creates and then consumes massive sandwiches made out of all sorts of meats, cheeses, and heaven knows what else.  I knew, and know, that it is a cartoon, but what this guy did with food is just amazing (and antithetical to every known healthy eating plan in the universe).  These sandwich creations that border on works of art (okay, maybe not art, but definitively pop culture icons) have spilled over into the real world.  You and I can pile up whatever we want (the more layers the better) and create our very own Dagwood.  And who said Western culture was in decline!

Dagwood's are attached in my imagination with leftovers.  Yes, most people make sandwiches out of processed meats, but for my money nothing compares with raiding the fridge after a big meal and seeing what gastronomical tour de force you can create.  This is one of the great joys of Thanksgiving.  The actual meal is great, but there are "rules" to eating it.  Not so with the leftovers.  You are free to create an endless array of sandwiches, casseroles, soups, stews and deserts.  Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce with whipped cream on rye might seem uncouth on Thursday, but by Friday the gloves are off.  As long as it does not kill you or send you to the ER, it is fair game.  Creativity is highly valued when it comes to leftovers.  The more original the creation the better, and the more leftovers you can use at one time is equally important.  Anyone can take some turkey and mashed potatoes and make a meal.  But how about turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, relish, cheese cubes, and apple crisp and combine them all into one dish?  That, dear reader, requires a lot of moxy and no small about of talent.

Leftovers are not only important from a culinary standpoint, but also from a theological one.  Leftovers remind us of God for God is a God not just of the main meal but also the leftovers.  Our lives are filled with bits and pieces of good and bad things.  Very little in life has a neat beginning or ending.  Rather, old relationships, successes, mistakes, and unexplored opportunities are always resurfacing, working their way back into our world.  Sometimes we might see this as a good thing (the chance to connect with a long lost friend) but every once in a while we might not be so thrilled at being reminded of that job we lost or the relationship that ended in a really bad way.  Yet there it is, staring us right in the face, demanding our attention. 

Life is not, in my opinion, what we make of it.  It is what God makes of it.  And God is really, really good at taking the leftover and creating something new and life giving.  Not to long ago I was watching a program about two men who traveled around to schools talking to kids about love and forgiveness.  One of the men's grandson had killed the other man's son.  Out of the guilt, anger, fear, and sense of loss God was able to create reconciliation, respect, love, and healing.  Not just for these two men, but for countless young people.  That, to me, is the greatest thing about how God uses our leftovers.  The new creation is meant for others as much as for us.  Our leftovers feed so many people, some of whom we may never meet face-to-face. 

Welcome with open arms the leftovers in your life, even the not so positive ones.  Take heart that your pain, in the hands of God, will be transformed into joy, your loss into gain, and missed opportunities into new futures.  And celebrate that all of this will be shared with others.  Because that is something else that is so great about leftovers - they are meant to be enjoyed by everybody.

Comfort Objects

All of my children have had comfort objects.  These were soft things, a couple of animals and a blanket, that they received when they were very young.  In times of stress out came the comfort objects.  Road trip - get the comfort object.  Bed time - OMG where is that thing!  Hours of my life have been lost looking for these precious possessions so that my children could go to sleep. 
The thing about comfort objects is that only the child can really choose it.  Like most middle-class American kids my children had more than their fair share of stuffed stuff.  We could open an outlet mall with all of the furry animal-like things they collected over the years.  But only one made the cut and achieved the status of comfort object.  Call it the childhood version of Survivor.  Or a less-violent Highlander (There can be only one).
I too had a comfort object as a youngster.  I believe it was a bear.  Age and a general tendency to repress most childhood memories makes it difficult for me to recall its name.  After all, comfort objects have to have names.  You cannot spend hours upon hours of time - very emotional time at that, with a nameless thing (unless of course you named your comfort object Thing, in which case Dr. Seuss called and he is going to sue you).  At some point in my life, again I can't remember when, I no longer needed my bear.  I do recollect a feeling of sadness when I let it go to that great bear round up in the sky.  It was a difficult decision, but that is what growing up is all about - painful emotional choices.
My willingness to part with my bear did not mean that I was done with comfort objects.  On the contrary, I merely replaced furry animals with roasted ones.  And carbohydrates.  Lots and lots of carbohydrates.  Comfort objects have become comfort food.  Feelings of stress or uncertainly can easily be avoided with some pasta or pizza or fried (insert any food item).  But my go-to food group in tough times is candy.  Thank God for Halloween...and Christmas...and Easter.  Did you ever notice that major holidays (prime producers of stress) are filled with sweets?  Without them I am not sure how I could ever get through a family function. 
Comfort objects (or food) make us feel good and safe (and occasionally bloated and gassy).  They are reassuring and don't make too many demands of us.  They don't argue or talk back (hint-if your comfort object has in the past or is currently talking to you seek medical help NOW!)  and allow us to reaffirm the world as we want it.
There are some people who contend that religion is nothing more than a comfort object.  We create religious systems to protect us from the outside world, to make a safe space (sanctuary) and to enable us to escape from reality.  Know what - they are right.  Sometimes.  As a minister I have seen firsthand how folks, good folks, can turn religion into their own comfort object.  And woe to the one who tries to take it from them.  Think a two year old throws a fit if you try and take their blankie, well just try changing something in the church and you will see some major temper tantrums.  Not from everyone, just those who need religion to provide them with a safe and secure place to turn to.
Church as comfort object never appealed to me.  While my faith offers me great comfort in the face of life's many trials there is more to being a follower of Jesus.  If anything, I have come to believe that being a disciple of the living Christ means being uncomfortable a lot of the time.  Having faith is a risky business and this Jesus, he lives out on the edge.  When I want the comfort of only being around people who think and act the way I do, Jesus pushes me out into a world in which I have to accept, no love, those who may not like me.  Right at that moment when I am full and warm and dry Jesus asks me what am I doing for those who are hungry and homeless and naked.  And when I clearly see the sinful nature of my adversaries I am invited to take a look in the mirror in case there are a few of my own blemishes I might have overlooked. 
The Christian faith has the power to transform lives.  Through it God calls us to new life beyond anything we could ever imagine.  But that process of transforming can get uncomfortable because we start looking at the world in a whole new way, with God at the center instead of ourselves.  That can take some getting used to.  But it is worth it.  It is so very worth it.