Of Plums and Prunes

Speaking of those who were professors of the Christian graces and yet not possessors of the same, one of my friend stated, "Don’t tell me you're an apple tree when you have prunes hanging on you." Another of my friends answered this statement with, "That's stupid, there's no such thing as a prune tree!" So thus began a long running feud between two of my two friends.

My part in this is simple; I wanted to know if there really was a prune tree so I went into discovery mode and attempted to do some research. I found if you go to your local store to pick up a few dried prunes they most likely came from plum trees as most dried prunes come from plums. Here is an interesting tidbit from ketchum.com, "In May 1999, the California Prune Board, with the industry's approval, requested permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to officially change its product's name to dried plums. We developed a creative campaign called "The Federal Witness Reidentification Program," which revealed the true identity of the prune as the dried plum. We conducted media outreach to consumer-and-trade radio, television, print and Internet sources announcing the "top secret news" that "a fruit had been discovered living under an assumed name: the dried plum -- formerly known as the prune." "The prune had been masquerading as a 'regular' old fruit."" It seems that most people view anything prune related as a relief for certain medical conditions, while plums you know are simply yummy. It is no wonder that my friend wrote the prune tree believer off as just another dried up thinker. But wait it is not all bad news; news flash, there really are prune trees and the main difference between the two is, the pit. Prunes have a cling pit while plums have a free pit.

The real moral of the story is this, we often make mountains out of mole hills or we major in minors. Experience tells me my friends wouldn't be that interested in the facts. One would say, "See there really are prune trees." The other would say, "Oh yeah, well dried prunes come from plumbs." Now, I know that this is humorous but when we major in minors we often have minors in majors. Let us rather be earnest in the things that are eternal.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Mark 8:36