Am I wheat or straw?

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"What has straw in common with wheat?" God asks in Jeremiah. A lot, on the surface. They grow together, attached until harvest, sharing nutrients and sunlight and water. They're both eminently useful--wheat as an edible grain; straw for animal feed, mulch, fuel, bedding, and packaging.Years ago I was enlisted to help build a straw bale house. I still remember how hot the sun was outside of the house--and how surprisingly cool it was inside. After a few hours of hard work we retired to the cool interior, sat on bales, and ate freshly baked bread. Both straw and wheat have their merits.