Porridge or corn flakes

Porridge or Corn Flakes: what kind of Christian are you?
There were two breakfast options in my home when I was growing up, corn flakes in the summer and porridge in the winter. And I don’t think it derived from that my entire childhood. Now for those of you uninitiated, porridge is not the same as oatmeal. Nor is porridge gruel, although I suppose watered down it could be. Porridge is a thick, stodgy breakfast food, and done well it has the consistency of wallpaper paste, although a bit lumpier. I absolutely love the smell of porridge cooking. It is one of those comfort things that we long for in desperate times, and I am fortunate that while I am here one of the things that I get to do in the morning is make porridge for the guests. I will not eat porridge, under absolutely any conditions. It has just too many bad associations for me.

But the other morning at breakfast the member in residence asked the question, are you porridge Christian or a corn flake Christian? And I think that is an important distinction for us to think about. A “porridge” Christian would be like the breakfast porridge, a little thick and not very responsive. It sort of clings to the bowl, even when held upside down. It does not respond well to changes. You can add all sorts of substances to porridge, but it never absorbs the other. Milk floats alongside. Raisins blend in, but are always identifiable as raisins. Sugar and syrup can be absorbed, and they do change the porridge slightly. Once porridge grows cold it cannot be used, and it does not reheat well. A “porridge” Christian would not take in new information, they would cling to what they know and not take in anything new or in addition. However, porridge is good for your heart and your digestion, but has to be taken in before it cools. It is not something that you can leave to later. Christianity has to be active; you can’t sit around and wait.

What about Christian “corn flakes?” Corn flakes really get a bad rap. So many of them have been adapted and adultered with things that make them not as healthy. But corn flakes, just corn flakes, can be a healthy grain breakfast. They are crisp and fresh. They absorb milk and take in the substances added to them. But they can absorb too much, and become mushy and shapeless. If left long enough corn flakes will become unrecognizable. As a “corn flake” Christian you take in other information, but you can take in so many different ideas that it makes you less a Christian and more of a humanist. But like the porridge Christian, the corn flake Christian has to be active, engaged and involved.

There are advantages. Porridge is generally acknowledged as a healthy food, where corn flakes are given less of a healthy reputation. Corn flakes are much simpler to bring to the table; you only have to poor them into the bowl. Porridge requires soaking, and boiling and stirring. (real porridge people don’t even consider instant). So there are advantages that each has. Perhaps to be a healthy Christian, we need to be warm and bubbly, like porridge, and receptive like corn flakes. We need to engage with others to keep ourselves fresh. And finally we need to be available and taken in by others in the world, so they can experience what God has given to us.

Maybe the answer is muesli?