This is a comment I received today on the post: “Peanut M&Ms in Relationship -Submission Part 3”
“So, um, you know, I really really like the general direction of this post and some parts of your metaphor really work for me, but WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH CHOCOLATE??? I am not sure I want to hear, “read the whole book…”
I mean it’s not really like you’re talking about ecology or fair trade production or the power and wonder of chocolate in small and measured doses. It’s just that no chocolate at all is not at all a leap I think a lot of relationships can sustain. Here I am not seeing the path away from chocolate mess and into the GOOD parts of chocolate.”
First off, let me say I LOVE hearing from you in the comments. I love the feedback and it inspires me to keep writing. Thank you RantWoman for writing! Because of the nature of your questions, I thought I would address them publicly in a post of it’s own.
Let me tell you: I like chocolate, dark chocolate. It’s not something I love, as in I drool over the case of truffles in the candy store, but I do enjoy dark chocolate. This is a case of growth and change. Up until my mid-twenties, I preferred milk chocolate but as I lost my sweet tooth, I lost my taste for milk chocolate. Then, several years later, Adria introduced me to dark chocolate and I could hear the angelic choirs singing their praises to God in the halls of Heaven. It actually lasted only for a bar or two, but I have been a dark chocolate fan ever since. I am still not a big candy fan though so dark chocolate is not something I buy for myself but I enjoy the treat on occasion when offered.
As for the chocolate metaphor, it’s not meant to disdain chocolate, but the original M&M was made with milk chocolate which is indeed, not good for you. Neither is the candy coated shell. The peanut is in fact the only part of the candy that has any nutritional value, just like the image of God inside each one of us is the truest part of ourselves. The reason the M&M metaphor is used is because it is something most people in the west know about. If I was teaching this in Kenya, I would probably use another metaphor. I know Katie and her team have taught this in another country. The next time I speak with her, I’ll ask her if they still used it. If I recall correctly, I believe they brought bags of the candy with them for the students to see and eat.
I have been thinking about a new installment of posts under the Imago Dei series about the drama triangle. I love that material too! Thank you for the feedback!