the mystery of "peeps"

why do we love those little marshmellowy chicks, and what, if anything, do they have to do w/ jesus? here's an answer. for extra credit: what's the maximum number o' peeps you (or anyone else, for that matter) have crammed in your mouth and swallowed in one 60-sec. period? we used to have the "peep challenge" as a game for our kids when renee' and i worked @ old north church in marblehead, and i swear one of the guys (or perhaps it was mary von rueden -- she sticks in my mind b/c she once throttled me in a coke-chuggin' contest) ate like 25 in a minute!