Grren Eggs and Ham - A Deeper Spiritual Look

Green Eggs and Ham……..A Deeper Look

Yesterday, my church asked for our favorite non Christian book on facebook. I posted “Green Eggs and Ham”, having no idea where the thought came from. I thought about it and wondered the significance….church asking the question, the book I haven’t read since my kids were little coming to mind out of nowhere. Pastor Mike later posted that Dr Seuss was a Lutheran.

Since I no longer have the book, I downloaded a video of Green Eggs and Ham. I watched listening to the words closely and looked for a deeper meaning.

I see Dr. Seuss writing about our rebirth, our awakening to God.

Sam I am represents God. Notice everytime the name is mentioned it is Sam “I am”. “I am” being the name of God.

At the very beginning the book it says “I am Sam”. Then “Sam I am”. Notice the similarity to “I am that I am”. The name of God given to us in the bible. Sam is very positive, friendly and enthusiastic. Enthusiastic coming from the Greek words en theos. Or God in us. I’m not a Greek or Bible scholar so bear with me here.

The other character doesn’t have a name. He represents all of us. People. Every person on the planet. I’ll refer to him as John just to have a name.

When Sam introduces himself in the story he isn’t introducing himself to John the character, but to us, the reader. John thinks he already knows Sam and immediately after Sam introduces himself, John says “That Sam I am, that Sam I am, I do not like that Sam I am”. The names Sam and “I am” are stated five times before anything else in the story happens.

Then Sam asks John if he likes green eggs and ham. I’ll refer to green eggs and ham as food for simplicity sake here. John says he doesn’t. We all know the story. I’ve always thought the interpretation of the story was about teaching children that if they try something they might actually like it, if they try it. A valuable lesson no doubt. Yet at a deeper level I see Sam representing God as I previously stated. John representing us as people. The story representing humanity’s resistance to God and life in general.

John specifically says he doesn’t like Sam. Despite Sam’s numerous attempts in a variety of different ways to not so much “persuade” John to try the food, but gently, lovingly, repeatedly asking if he likes them. Sam knows John likes them but John doesn’t. Just as God knows us better than we know ourselves. Despite John’s resistance to continually run away from the food and Sam. Sam never gives up, never gets angry or frustrated. He lovingly continues asking. The green eggs and ham represent a relationship with God. Or put another way, salvation as if trying the food is all he has to do, the first step in developing the friendship with Sam, or better, a relationship with God.

Sam takes John on a journey to different places with different circumstances all surrounding the food and different ways and places to eat it. This represents God never giving up on us; always present trying to lovingly get through to us. It also represents the possibilities we have in life, the choices we have available to us….here or there, in a house, with a mouse….etc etc as the story goes on. John resists not just the food but the friendship, a relationship with Sam, or with God. God is trying to give John a gift just as He is trying to give us a gift. Not just the food, but friendship, relationship as well as choices, utilizing our free will. John adamantly refuses continually, getting angry, irritable, frustrated, just as we get when we resist things in our lives, especially when we resist God.

Everytime John thinks he is free of Sam, Sam shows up with his offer of relationship with him and finally says to Sam “Let me be!” after seven attempts by Sam. John continues resisting. In darkness, rain, when a goat blocks the train tracks, on a boat at sea that ends up sinking. When John swims to shore he comes across a treasure chest. Sam pops out of the chest offering the green eggs and ham, offering a relationship with God. I love the symbolism of the treasure chest!

John finally says “if you will let me be, I will try them and you will see”. John finally surrenders and accepts the gift Sam is offering. After the first bite John becomes happy, joyous, excited. He continues eating and says “I like green eggs and ham! I like them Sam I am”. He dances around singing about how he likes them and how he will try them in all the places and circumstances where Sam was offering. They become friends.
At the end, John says with his arm around Sam “I do so like green eggs and ham, thank you, thank you Sam I am.”

This represents our trials, our storms, while God chases us offering himself to us as we continue resisting but finally surrender. Trusting, trying, and taking the first step of faith. It comes from willingness, or maybe a willingness to be willing to at least try something given the circumstances we’ve been through.

Then finally the epiphany, the food is good! Sam is indeed a friend. Just as God is our friend. Not to be feared, not someone to run from, but someone who is always there offering us choices despite our view of our own circumstances. Showing us that God, Sam “I am” is always there. And when we surrender and become willing to partake of the green eggs and ham, or a relationship with God, we experience joy and peace and love that can only come from God. A friendship that only God can offer.

Yet we must take that first step. We must be at least willing to be willing. When we are willing and surrender, there He is, waiting for us, popping out of a treasure chest, always offering us himself. The peace, joy and love are there for us all. Not in the green eggs and ham, but in our relationship with God…….as well as with others.

Written by Brad Essman
March 9, 2010