We are in Professor Faggioli\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli\u2019s therapy session continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Anyway, dear Ravioli, we can try to manage the effects of your stress eating, but to do so, it\u2019s important to understand its origins and reasons, so we can resolve this little psychological issue of yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: I didn\u2019t think this was a psychological problem\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Unfortunately, it is, Ravioli. Unfortunately, it is. Anyway\u2026 Tell me. When was the first time you became aware of your stress eating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (scratching his chin): Let me think\u2026 Ah, yes! It was when I was eight. My parents put me on a diet. They made me eat dishes made of broccoli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli makes a disgusted face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli (interested): Broccoli? Did you say broccoli?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yes, exactly, broccoli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Broccoli? Those delicious, wholesome green vegetables?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Ah, I wish I could see it that way too, professor. But the truth is, I hate broccoli. I\u2019ve never liked them, and I\u2019ve never been able to stand them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli (astonished): But, Ravioli\u2026 how can you say such a thing? Don\u2019t you know broccoli are tasty and good for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Now, professor, you\u2019ve just used the same words my mom would say when she forced me to swallow those horrible green bites! I almost threw up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Now, now, Raviolino! You\u2019re really trying to make me angry! Didn\u2019t I just tell you broccoli are delicious and healthy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Professor, you just called me Raviolino\u2026 Just like my mom does!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: You see, Ravioli, this isn\u2019t a matter of taste or opinion. Broccoli\u2026 you have to eat them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (confused): I\u2019m not so sure, professor\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: What you\u2019re telling me is very serious! Don\u2019t you realize your mother was right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (alarmed): What? What\u2019s this about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Don\u2019t you know? Ah, never mind. You said your mom used to force you to eat broccoli. Tell me how it went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Well, there\u2019s not much to say. At lunchtime, I ate at afterschool care, but dinner\u2026 Dinner was the worst. Dinnertime would come, and on the table, there were always\u2026 broccoli! And if I didn\u2019t finish the whole plate, I\u2019d get punished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: On your knees on dry beans or ruler slaps on your hands?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: No, Faggioli, what are you saying? My mom never used those kinds of punishments! My punishment was having to listen to endless lectures about how good vegetables are for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Ah, I see. Now it\u2019s all clear. I\u2019m starting to understand why you\u2019ve ended up in such bad shape! It was actually your mom who was too soft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Am I really in such bad shape, professor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time passes, and Faggioli continues his lecture\u2026 I mean, his session with Ravioli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: And yet, you like pizza\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Exactly! How did you guess?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: I know your type all too well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Now that I think about it, I\u2019m hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: And you\u2019d like a nice pizza, thick, dripping with cheese and oil, topped with plenty of spicy salami slices\u2026 right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Ah, my favorite\u2026 but at this time, the pizzeria is closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: It\u2019s only nine in the morning\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Ah, but there\u2019s that bakery downtown\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Or maybe a big hamburger\u2026 double, or triple\u2026 loaded with sauces\u2026 an absurd amount of fried bacon and cheddar\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Professor, don\u2019t tempt me like that. It\u2019s only nine in the morning. The fast-food places are only serving breakfast at this hour\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Of course, Ravioli, you like these things. And do you know why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (interested): I don\u2019t know, Professor. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: You like them because they\u2019re\u2026 JUNK!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli jumps, startled by Faggioli\u2019s shout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Can\u2019t you see it? You\u2019re missing out on good, wholesome broccoli dishes, which are great for your body and mind, and instead, you\u2019re putting garbage into your body! Things that harm you, make you gain weight, and bloat your stomach like a balloon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yeah, but pizzas and hamburgers are\u2026 so good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Good? And you call that stuff good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: I don\u2019t know, Professor. Maybe you\u2019re right\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Maybe? Do you even realize what that junk has done to you? Have you looked in the mirror? Haven\u2019t you seen how fat and ugly you\u2019ve become? And let\u2019s not even talk about your arteries\u2014surely clogged with cholesterol!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli starts crying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: But broccoli, now those are good! That\u2019s what I call a healthy food! Ah, broccoli! They bring back so many childhood memories. Did you know, Ravioli, that I was a little rebel like you, refusing to eat broccoli? But then my father\u2026 Ah, my father\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli gets lost for a moment in childhood memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: \u2026 My father used to smack my hands with a ruler. Oh yes! That worked. I remember evenings spent kneeling on dry beans, nights locked in the storage closet. Hungry, in the dark, and without dinner. And let me tell you\u2026 crying and screaming didn\u2019t help one bit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli pauses, gets up, and looks at the wall, pretending it\u2019s a window. Then he resumes his monologue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: And look at me now! Look at my body\u2014slim, athletic, and full of health. Look at my mind\u2014sharp, sound, and disciplined. And who deserves the credit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli pulls out the old sock he uses as a puppet\u2014his friend Tony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony: I don\u2019t know, Faggioli. Who deserves the credit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: BROCCOLI!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony: And the beatings! Ah, ah, ah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Yes, exactly, broccoli and the beatings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli has pulled himself together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: You\u2019re right, Faggioli. I\u2019m a mess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Good, good, good. I see we\u2019re making progress. Right, Tony?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony: Ah, ah, ah! The fatty is making progress\u2026 Ah, ah, ah! Careful he doesn\u2019t overdo it\u2026 Ah, ah, ah! Because he\u2019s fat! Ah, ah, ah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli (encouragingly): But let\u2019s get back to you, dear Ravioli\u2026 Go on, you were telling me about the first time you felt this nervous hunger\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the other room, in the waiting area, Papaia and Banani are trying to pass the time chatting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Today the weather seems clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: The forecast says it\u2019s going to rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani (looking out of the small window in the room): Really? It doesn\u2019t look like it to me. I can\u2019t see a single cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Sometimes they\u2019re wrong, but you never know. I always carry a raincoat in my pocket. I hate getting caught in the rain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: A raincoat? Great idea! I never thought of that. I\u2019ll add it to my pocket tool kit right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Hey, speaking of rain\u2026 I saw you\u2019ve made progress in reading your book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: It\u2019s not mine; it\u2019s my grandfather\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Oh, really? Is your grandfather still alive? That\u2019s impressive! How old is he?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: He\u2019ll turn 103 next month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Wow! Give him my best wishes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: You can give them in person if you like. We\u2019re organizing a surprise party, and you\u2019re invited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Thanks, I\u2019d love to come. But\u2026 a surprise party\u2026 are you sure it\u2019s a good idea? You know, considering his age\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Oh, right! I hadn\u2019t thought of that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: More than you surprising your grandfather, it might end up being your grandfather surprising you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Oh, don\u2019t say that, Igor! Don\u2019t even think it! He definitely has another hundred years ahead of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani goes back to reading. But Papaia is getting bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia (scrolling through his phone): You know, Banani, I never realized how many important messages I missed because of ads\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Banani, deeply engrossed in his reading, doesn\u2019t reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: Did you forget Banani is deaf in one ear? He probably didn\u2019t hear you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia moves to the other side of the small room and, raising his voice, asks: What are you reading?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani jumps in fright, then finally answers. Oh! I heard you just fine! There\u2019s no need to shout!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Sorry, but you weren\u2019t answering me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Okay\u2026 The book is about the evidence for the flood, like marine fossils commonly found on high mountains all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Oh, I get it! You\u2019re saying water covered the whole world, including the mountains. That\u2019s how marine creatures ended up there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Well, it\u2019s not as simple as it might sound. Apparently, beneath the ocean floor\u2019s crust, there was a layer of water, kept separated underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Basically, a second ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Yes, you could see it that way. Remember in Genesis where it says the fountains of the great deep burst open?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yeah, we talked about that in the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Right. At that point, because of the eruptions, this layer was breached, and the water beneath it added to the oceans\u2019 waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Raising the sea level!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Yes, but there\u2019s also a second mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: I\u2019m listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Along with water, an immense amount of lava erupted from beneath this second layer, forcing its way out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yeah, so?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Hot lava is less dense than the rocks that make up the ocean floor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Definitely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: So, it tends to expand and rise, elevating the ocean floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Ah, so the amount of water increases, and at the same time, the seafloor rises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly. These two mechanisms caused the sea level to rise by over 1,000 meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Wait, I didn\u2019t quite understand where all that lava ends up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Let me give you a practical example. Has your wife ever baked a cake in the oven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, I get it. The cake puffs up and rises!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: A good analogy might be a layered cake with a filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine a cake with two layers of dough\u2014one on top and one on the bottom\u2014with cream or jam in between. During baking, the heat causes the filling to boil, expand, and push the top layer upward, making it puff up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the bottom layer remains more stable but begins to solidify as it heats. The result is a cake that looks puffed up because the expanding filling forces the top layer to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This dynamic is similar to the model: the double layer represents the two seafloor layers, the filling is the water or lava, and the upward force mirrors the pressure generated by the eruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Okay, so the future fossils end up on land, but you said the tall mountains hadn\u2019t formed yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Correct. In the pre-Flood world, there were no mountains as high as the ones we see today. It\u2019s estimated that the sea level rose by over 1,000 meters, enough to submerge everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yeah, but at some point, the sea level started to lower, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Yes, in Genesis, we read that the fountains of the great deep closed, and the waters receded, uncovering dry land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: And what was the mechanism that triggered this lowering of the sea level?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Simple! Once the fountains closed and the eruptions ceased, the lava began to cool, causing the seafloor to sink, which lowered the sea level to what it is today. This detail is found in Psalm 104, verses 5 to 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, but that still doesn\u2019t explain how marine fossils ended up on the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Right, because until that moment, tall mountains didn\u2019t exist. First, we mentioned that the waters eventually receded. Some marine creatures were left stranded on the newly exposed land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, but you said tall mountains didn\u2019t exist. How did they form?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: We said that the single supercontinent, Pangaea, broke apart during the year of the Flood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, I remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: The continents moved from their initial, united position to where they are today\u2014all within a year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: They must have been moving at terrifying speeds! We’re talking meters per second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly. And some plates collided. The immense energy caused the rocks to rise, forming the tall mountains, like the Andes and the Himalayas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: And that\u2019s how the remains of marine creatures ended up on top of them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Precisely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: From what I gather, we can explain the presence of fossils on mountains with the Flood\u2014an enormous disaster. Now, what I still don\u2019t understand is how to explain the enormous disaster we\u2019re currently in. Oh, wait! That\u2019s right! The explanation is\u2026 Papaia!<\/p>\n\n\n\n