Green Eggs, Ham And The Gospel

I am Sam, Sam I am

That Sam-I-am, that Sam-I-am!

I do not like that Sam-I-am!

Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them Sam-I-am.

I do not like green eggs and ham

Would you like them here or there?

I would not like them here or there,

I would not like them anywhere,

I do not like green eggs and ham

I do not like them Sam-I-Am

Do you know the story? I bet you do. It’s one of Dr. Suess greatest works. "Green Eggs and Ham". You know I hate that book. Didn’t always hate it though, no sir when I was a kid I loved Green Eggs and Ham, and when Stephen was born I promised myself that I’d buy that classic for my children, and I did. And my kids love it and I have read it to them let’s see, at last count, 3,123,789 times approximately. And I have come to hate that book.

You know the story. Sam keeps trying to get his friend to try green eggs and ham. Would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox? And at every rejection he tries something new. And his friend keeps saying, no, no, no I don’t like them, until finally it would seem that Sam has tried everything because his friend says:

"I could not would not on a boat.

I will not, will not with a goat

I will not eat them in the rain.

I will not eat them on a train.

Not in the Dark! Not in a tree!

Not in a car! You let me be!

I do not like them in a box.

I do not like them with a fox.

I will not eat them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them anywhere!

I do not like green eggs and ham!

I do not like them Sam I am.

Pretty definite, you’d think that Sam would get the hint, but no he’s up for one more try and try he does as he says:

You do not like them, so you say.

Try them! Try them!

And you may.

Try them and you may, I say.

Does it work? Let’s continue to listen in.

Sam! if you will let me be, I will try them. You will see.

Say! I like green eggs and ham!

I do! I like them, Sam-I-Am!

And i would eat them in a boat.

And I would eat them with a goat...

And I will eat them in the rain.

And in the Dark. And on a train.

And in a car. And in a tree.

They are so good so good you see!

So I will eat them in a box.

And I will eat them with a fox.

And I will eat them in a house.

And I will eat them with a mouse.

And I will eat them here and there.

Say! I will eat them anywhere!

I do so like green eggs and ham!

Thank you!

Thank you, Sam-I-Am.

My eyes were opened a number of years ago when we were in Australia and we went on vacation to the Great Barrier Reef. Deborah was allowed to take some books for bed time stories and you guessed it she took Green Eggs and Ham. And so as I settle down one night to read my daughter this childhood classic I saw something that I had never seen before. If Sam had of been you typical Christian from you typical church than when his friend said, "I do not like them Sam-I-Am, I do not like green eggs and ham." then Sam would have said, OK. No problem and that would have been the end of the story. Sam would have happily gone on his way and his friend would never have experienced the joy of eating green eggs and ham. But no, Sam wasn’t content to take no for an answer. Luckily for his friend, Sam wasn’t like a typical Christian in a typical church, he wasn’t worried about offending his friend or driving him away. All he new was how important it was that his friend make the decision to try green eggs and ham.

Now I am not trying to trivialize this message, but think about it, if a character in a Dr. Suess story book knows the importance of being persistent when trying to convince someone to try something new, how come we don’t?

Well needless to say I determined that if I ever got a chance to start a church from scratch it would be firmly grounded in the principles of Green Eggs and Ham. About this time you must be getting ready to lean over to your spouse and say, "I knew it was a cult Margaret, let’s get out of here" Just bear with me OK?