March 23, 2007

Once upon a time there lived a great baker who was widely renowned for his masterful baking. From his famous ovens came delectable breads, mouthwatering muffins, scrumptious cakes, succulent pies, and tantalizing cookies.  But of all the things he enjoyed making, gingerbread was chief.  He delighted in forming the gingerbread into intricately amazing displays of genius, his clever hands delicately crafting it as though he were a Renaissance artist.  Finally the time came to put his hand to his “piece de resistance”.  He spent days making sure that everything was ready, sparing no expense in acquiring the highest quality ingredients possible.

He painstakingly prepared his dough and then, when satisfied with his work, placed it upon its pan, shaping its little body with perfect proportions, attending to every detail with meticulous care.  When done, the baker opened the door to his oven and, with a delighted twinkle in his eye, slid the pan onto the rack and shut the door.  While he waited on the gingerbread man to bake, customers entered the store.  Most of them were helped by the baker’s assistants but a few of those who were most familiar with the baker joined him as he gazed through the glass of the oven door.  Once they caught sight of the wonderful gingerbread man baking inside, they each asked the price of it for they each very much wished to own it.

“No, no,” the baker replied every time.  “This one is for my son and me.  It isn’t to be eaten; I have made this one to keep with us always.”

When the time came for the gingerbread man to leave the oven, the baker opened the oven door and removed the baking pan with the perfect little man upon it.  After it had cooled enough, the baker decorated the small figure with colorful icing, placing colorful little eyes upon its gingerbread face, little buttons on its gingerbread shirt, and even little boots upon its gingerbread feet.

When he was done, the baker sighed with satisfaction.  “This is good,” he said.  The little gingerbread man stirred, lifted his head from the plate on which he was lying, and stood up, looking up at the baker with wonder in his eyes.  The baker smiled.  “Welcome,” he said.  The gingerbread man smiled back and bowed to him with gratitude.

But when the baker turned his back on his small creation, the gingerbread’s sharp eyes caught sight of the wide world beyond the window.  And off he went, quick as lightning, from the table to the countertop, and from the countertop through the open window into what was beyond.  On his two small but sturdy gingerbread feet he landed.  He looked about and saw that the baker had seen his exit, and was running from view past the window, only to reappear through the bakery door.

“Don’t go!” the baker called.  “The world is too dangerous!  Stay with me and we’ll always be together!”

But the gingerbread man’s mind was too full of possibilities and his heart was too full of blind and spontaneous ambition.  “Run,” he called over his shoulder as he raced away.  “Run!  Run as fast as you can!  You can’t catch me!  I’m the gingerbread man!”

The little man ran down the street, past the surprised eyes of people out about their business.  The baker followed, calling after the small gingerbread man, calling for him to come home.

As the gingerbread man made his way down the street, he passed by two of the baker’s young assistants who were making afternoon deliveries of breads and desserts.  Their eyes, lighting upon the small figure going past them, recognized him.  They dropped everything they were carrying and began to chase him also.

The gingerbread man laughed upon seeing this and shouted over his shoulder, “Run!  Run as fast as you can!  You can’t catch me!  I’m the gingerbread man!”  And on he went.

Soon they made it to the edge of town, marked by the very house in which the baker himself lived.  Playing outside with a ball was the baker’s son.  His too saw the little gingerbread man, the two baker’s assistants, and finally his own father all running madly after the little figure.

He too dropped what he was holding, his prized ball, and he too joined the chase.  The gingerbread man giggled and chanted loudly, “Run!  Run as fast as you can!  You can’t catch me!  I’m the gingerbread man!”  And on he went!

Soon he reached the edge of a wide river and realized that he was trapped.  As he stood by the water’s edge, desperately looking for some way of escape, he suddenly noticed that he was standing by a red, fuzzy fox.  The fox looked at him with understanding and compassion in his eyes.  “You’re trapped, little one.  But I can carry you across!”

The gingerbread man eagerly agreed and climbed onto the fox’s fuzzy back, who quickly began to paddle out into the water.  The boy, the assistants, and the baker reached the river’s edge and stood there, looking sadly at the departing gingerbread man and fox.  The little man giggled again, proud of his daring wit.

“Oh, dear!” the fox said solemnly.  “I think you had better climb higher; the current is stronger here and I’m afraid you may be washed away.”  The little man gulped and did as the fox suggested.  But soon the fox clicked his tongue.   “Oh, my!  The water is rougher than I had thought.  You’d better climb up by my head.”  The gingerbread man’s little gingerbread feet were getting damp, so he did as he was told.

The fox suddenly had a sly glint in his eyes, and the gingerbread man realized that he had been tricked.  A wicked laugh erupted from the fox’s throat and he licked his lips.  But the gingerbread man heard a voice behind him.  It was the baker’s son… swimming out to him.  With an outstretched hand, he motioned for the little man to jump to him.  “Let me save you!” the boy called.

The gingerbread man hesitated, which almost sealed his fate.  But at the last moment, just as the fox’s teeth were about to close upon him, he leapt.  But was it far enough?  If the baker’s son had not thrust himself forward with a sudden burst of effort, it would not have been.  But the gingerbread man landed on the boy’s reaching fingers and felt them snuggly close about him.  The fox grunted with disappointment and paddled away.  The boy, however, swam back to the shore, holding the little man high above his head with one hand.

The gingerbread man was struck by how costly his running away had nearly proven… for himself and for others.  He hung his head in shame, but when he was received with joy and brought home to be with this family forever, he forgot his shame, but not the lesson learned in wisdom and loving sacrifice.

And Jesus, the Son of God and Savior for all the “gingerbread” men and women who will place their faith in Him, says this to us today, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life,” (John 5:24 NIV).  Why would we, created by a loving and kind God Who desires to keep us by His side forever, “run, run as fast as we can” away from His love and towards destruction?  Let us turn instead from rebellious self-will and turn in faith towards the only One Who can save us from self-destruction, the Son of God.

(Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered in southern Ohio the past eleven years.  He is the pastor of Pathway Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at the Ariel Theatre.  He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com).