The Not-So Fortunate Cookie

Everyone loves fortune cookies. Whether it's the crisp, somewhat flakey, vanilla-flavored goodness or simply just opening up the dry outer carcass to reveal what you have been looking forward to during the entire rice-filled meal, the vague but wise prophetic words deciding or warning of the outcome of your future.

The reason for talking about these delicious little gems (I'm in it for the cookie part for sure) is because recently Andrea and I enjoyed a meal at a near-by Chinese joint. The food was great, I ate a lot, and I didn't feel like I just ate a whole cow which is one of my favorite things about Asian food.

We both, of course, got a fortune cookie with our little faux future being told. Andrea's said: "A distant romance could begin to look more promising" Well, that one was exciting but had to be the most offensive thing a cookie has ever said, in my opinion. Really, if a cookie can tell the future you would think it would know that Andrea was faithfully married to her dashing Prince Charming ;) So, I opened my cookie and. . . "Soon, someone will make you very proud" Lame! That's all I can say about that one. Unless it's implying that Andrea will make me proud for not listening to her dumb cookie and its crappy fortune. It's kinda confusing. I guess these things can mean whatever we want them to.

After the fortune cookie experience I got to thinking and I could not help but be reminded of American Christianity. I feel it often uses the "fortune cookie method" much of the time but with Bible passages as the "fortune". It's almost like prescribing a Bible passage to someone to treat what is ailing them and leaving it at that. Rather than loving the individual and living God's Word rather than just saying it without effect in our lives. Living as the body of Christ toward one another.

I'm not sure if this completely makes sense and I think it is easier said than done but I hope and pray to become better at living what I believe instead of just saying that I believe it and see little effect in my own life.

James 2:14-19 : What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.