I say that we should start writing Bible verses on our coffee cups. I’m thinking Exodous 32:20: “And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” Though that’s more applicable to decaf. There’s also the latter bit of Revelation 10:10: “It tasted sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned my stomach sour.” This happens every morning. We could also use Second Samuel for general caffeinated inspiration. Write the words of the prophet Nathan on the bottom of the mug where you’ll see it once your coffee is all drunk: “You are the man!”
We could even take it a step further. When I was a little girl, I once received a plastic coffee mug as a prize in a kids’ meal. It was painted with some kind of magical plastic that made hidden images appear on it, when it was filled with hot water. I assume this is the same stuff that “My Magic Tea Party” toys are made out of. Of course this coffee cup came with multiple warnings that it was hand wash only, and of course my parents ruined it in the dishwasher within one week. But I know to be more careful now. Why not use this technology for inspirational coffee mug decor?
I’m picturing a cup that says “Domine, labia mea aperies” on it in fancy scrolly letters. Then, when you fill it with hot coffee, you get the response: “et os meam annunciabit laudem tuam.” Just the thing to have on your mind as you chug your morning coffee. And you can always get an “O God Come to My Assistance” mug for the afternoons as well. For those of us in the Eastern church, think how much fun it would be for a plain mug to suddenly appear emblazoned all over with “Lord have mercy Lord have mercy Lord have mercy Lord have mercy” which is what I mutter as I drink my coffee anyway. And we needn’t stop at just writing. Maybe we can use the magical appearing images to dramatize Bible stories. Not the Nativity, because then we run into the problem of pictures of Jesus stuck upside down in a cupboard again, but other Bible stories. I’m thinking of the wellsprings of the sky opening to drown Noah’s neighbors; the dead concubine being chopped into twelve pieces; the bears descending the mountain to devour the insolent youths. Plagues of locusts giving way to plagues of frogs. Comely women appearing unbidden before Xerxes. Ezekiel burying his loincloth. Christian bookshops are always looking for new tacky ways to evangelize. They could do much worse than animated coffee cup Bible stories, and they have.
Or, of course, we could draw our inspiration from actual inspiring things, and use cups and dishes to feed ourselves. I could go either way.
Actually, scratch that, I can’t go anywhere.
Not until I finish my coffee.
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