church life interpreted

The symbolic significance of the potatoes is hearty spiritual sustenance. The dreamer is afraid to do the work of harvesting for spiritual nourishment for her church because of the bears. The bears represent a particular evil—the sort of evil that will rob this body of believers of its spiritual sustenance. There is no one to protect or help the narrator as he/she harvests. Pastors are busy at the carnival carts serving the food. But serving food to babies carnival style is a bit awkward or simply non-functioning. According to situational leadership theory, the wrong method is being used for the situation. Essentially, the message is: there are many baby Christians in this church and they are being served spiritual nourishment in a manner unsuited for their maturity. Additionally, these baby Christians are stinking up the place. They are not being cared for and are being left to their own devices.

The theatre itself suggests teaching framed as entertainment. The teaching includes indoctrination that accustoms the congregants to the presence of evil (the bears) among them that will rob them of their spiritual sustenance. The interesting man is the very presence/vessel of this particular evil at times. He is telling folks to not be afraid of the very thing they should be afraid of—that which robs them of their spiritual sustenance.

How would you like someone to say these things about your church—assuming that you like your church.