The Parable of Popcorn
Theme: Helping children understand some of the Passion of Jesus without traumatizing them. The villains in the story are downplayed, so children can focus upon the love and bravery that the kernel Jesse shows to lead all kernels to a beautiful, new life.
Unpopped popcorn kernels believed that there was a glorious life awaiting them.
The unpopped kernels lived in a world without people and the old stories promised them that they would not die. Rather, they would be changed into another form that was so much larger and amazing than their small rounded forms.
The trouble was that no kernel had ever gone through this change. No one was brave enough to try out what the old stories described. But, one day, so the stories said, a kernel would come among them and guide them to this other life in this beautiful new form.
One day, a new kernel named Jesse arrived. Jesse was brave and always spoke the truth. Jesse completely believed in the old stories and was courageous enough to follow exactly what they said.
“Never has a kernel spoken and loved like this kernel,” said just about any kernel who met Jesse.
“I will lead all kernels to this beautiful, new life,” Jesse said.
Some of the kernels became jealous of Jesse because he became too popular and was just too nice.
“If this Jesse believes in the old stories,” said one mean kernel. “Then, we will help him follow all that the stories say.”
The mean kernels captured Jesse and with the book of old stories nearby, they began to bully Jesse.
The nice kernels got ready to fight the mean kernels, but Jesse spoke very loudly, “Do not stop them. I am not afraid of them or what they will do to me. They can hurt me but they cannot stop me.”
“Why would you do this?” asked one of the nice kernels.
“Because I love all kernels,” Jesse replied. “I will not resist them.”
Following the instructions of the old stories, they bathed Jesse in cooking oil and then turned on the heat so that the oil started to get hot.
It became painful as the oil heated up. The mean kernels surrounded Jesse and the good kernels watched with sadness from outside the circle of the mean kernels.
Besides the pain, Jesse could begin to feel something happening deep inside him at his center. The pain increased and Jesse’s heart pressed hard as it seemed to want to grow ever bigger within him.
Jesse’s heart grew within him and the pain grew all over. Suddenly, Jesse’s heart exploded because it was so filled with love. Jesse’s simple, small rounded form changed into an astoundingly large, complicated shape. His color changed to a blazing bright white. Jesse seemed to leap high into the sky before returning to be with the other kernels.
The mean kernels rolled away quickly in fear. The nice kernels were astonished at what had happened and rolled closer to Jesse. He let the nice kernels examine what had happened to him.
“This is the new beautiful life that awaits all of you,” Jesse proclaimed. “I have shown you the way. Have faith in me and follow me when it is your time and you will become like me.”
Most of the kernels believed in Jesse and what he had done. Each in their own time, Jesse’s followers all became the large, dazzlingly brilliant, complicated shapes—just like Jesse. Some of the kernels, however, were too afraid to follow Jesse and go through the change, so they went away from Jesse and the others.
The popped kernels enjoyed their new lives with Jesse in their new forms. Among the popped kernels, Jesse was often referred to as the Son of Pop.