POP CORN- SHORT REFLECTION

Pop Corn ( REFLECTION) The art of cooking fascinates me. At times I even take the risk of cooking: The fact is that I am more competent with words than with cooking pots. Hence, I have written more on food than on food preparation. I could never imagine that a day would come when maize would make me dream. And just that happened. Maize is an Indian corn, which is dry and not so well devel- oped. If I were an ignorant farmer and if in the midst of my big and fat corn that small dwarf like ears of corn were to appear, I would be angry and try to uproot them. I do not know how it must have happened but the truth is that somebody had the idea of unpeeling the ears of corn, put it in a pot placed on fire, hoping that the grains would soften and could be eaten. The exper- iment with water being a failure, oil was used. No one must have ever imagined what happened next. Immediately the grains started to split open, jumping in the fry pan with great confusion. The result was astonishing. The 'hard to bite' grains were transformed into tender white flowers, which even babies could eat. But the transformation takes place by the power of the fire. If maize does not pass through fire, it remains maize for ever. It so happens with us. When we pass through fire, great changes take place. Those who do not do so, remain always the same, all through life. They are persons with an identity and a rigidity that is alarming. Only that they do not recognize it. In Christian symbolism the miracle of maize can be represented by the death and resurrection of Jesus: the resurrection is the explosion of maize. It is necessary to let go of one's own manner of being in order to be in a different way. There are corn grains that refuse to burst in the pan. But I think that the power of the imagery is much greater. The unexploded grains are those persons who refuse to change, in spite of being heated by fire. They think that there exists no other mode of being more superb than theirs. They ignore the words of Jesus: "He who wishes to save his life will lose it." Their belief and fear are the rough and rigid peels of maize that do not burst open. They have a miserable fate and will remain stiff for the whole of their life. They will not be transformed into tender white flowers. They cannot give joy to anyone. When the joyful bursting of the maize is over, the unbroken grains, which are of no use, will remain in the bottom of the pan. Their destiny is the garbage. Let us trust that the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning our rough hard peels, making us flexible to His breath. Let us.... Let Ourselves Be Moulded By The Living Word And The Power Of God, Come Out Of Our Inertia And Be Different In Our Generation!