Take the Beans

Last updated on: May 23, 2020 at 10:41 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

Take the Beans 2020-05-23T10:41:44-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Times are tough, but not, Thank God, Depression Era tough. My grandparents lived through those hard times and anytime we had a “recession” would laugh, a little when younger people started making Depression comparisons. This was a time when you were glad to have some connection to the family farm so you could go to the country and get food.

Food was cheap, but there was not enough cash to buy the food. Families would knock on the door and Christian people fed them. This was their moral duty!

Nana told me that once as she was making dinner a lady knocked on the door and said she was starving. Nana invited her to share in what she was cooking for dinner. “What are you having?” the woman asked my grandmother. This raised some suspicion since starving people generally are not very choosy.

“Beans.” Nana responded.

“I don’t like beans,” she replied, “could you fry me some eggs?”

This was, so far as I can recall, where the conversation ended. Nana chose not to cook a new dinner for the “starving” woman and the “starving” woman chose not to eat beans or at least the fixings.

I think of this whenever my temptation is to look at this pandemic time and think: “This is the worst. I cannot take this anymore.”

And then someone comes to bless us, but I have to wear a mask for the meeting, and I think (God forgive me!): “This mask is itchy.”

I should take the beans.

When the plastic mask I am wearing to serve communion fogs up from my breath so I cannot see and I get irritable, I should take the beans and be grateful.

When I get to the store and the meat I want is not available at a price we can afford as a family, I should grab the chicken livers or (literally) just eat some beans.

Life in pandemic time is not as we wish, no need to deny the irritation and our real desires. A better time would have allowed that woman to have some fried eggs and potatoes, yet I cannot wonder if that would really have helped her life. She wanted what she wanted and could not be happy with what life was offering. She could have shared a meal with a wonderful family, but she chose to be irritable because she could not get what she wanted.

She need not have denied her preferences, just not have allowed them to keep her from another good. Of course, she also was asking my Nana to serve her, as if Nana were her cook, in ways that defied charity and were (in all probability) not doable. Eggs, like any food, were hard to get and so demanding particular meals from your host was unkind.

If I cannot be happy with beans, I can still eat them and enjoy what is good in the charity of the kind woman who shared her family’s dinner with me.

Jesus was right: it is more happy, more God blessed, to give than to receive. Sometimes in hard times, we are too selfish, too stuck on our own wants, to bless others by receiving the beans they have to give. As a pastor, Dad often got gifts, some of them were not to his (or Mom’s taste!). He would bring them home, have a chuckle, and then enjoy them because of the goodness behind the gift. We got joy out of some dubious art this way: Dad and Mom ate the beans thankful for the charity behind the pot if not for the beans.*

*I will note that my Dad makes a very delicious pot of pinto beans and I have eaten more than my share many times. Pinto beans are God’s gift.

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

May 22, 2020

It is impossible for a man to achieve good through evil means.

Next Post

May 24, 2020 Poops and Joy in the Morning (Joy in Pandemic Time)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who found baby Moses in the river?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Pharaoh’s daughter Pharaoh himself An Egyptian priest Miriam

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »