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Reflection from our Co-Pastors - October 25, 2022
LUKE 13: 18-21
Jesus shares with us in today’s gospel the Parable of the mustard seed and the Parable of the yeast. He asks us, “What is the Kin-dom of God like?”
Well, when I was a child I thought I had the answer to that question. The Kin-dom of God, or heaven, had lots of angels, harp playing, God, Jesus and his Blessed Mother, all the Saints, our friends, family and pets that had died, and all the ice cream we could eat! And maybe an amusement park ride or two so that God could delight in kids having fun. Pretty simple, huh?
But then I grew up…
And instead of imagining a place where I would go after my life on earth ended, I began to imagine how heaven could be created here on earth. After all, Jesus instructed his own disciples to go out into the world to heal, dispel demons, and love their neighbors saying, “The Kin-dom of God is near.”
We can be the person who plants the mustard seed and watches it grow into a large bush that the birds of the sky make their nest in. What are the seeds we can plant to create God's Kin-dom here on earth? Love, care, compassion, respect, inclusiveness, healing presence, patience, generosity, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, openness of heart and mind, deep listening without an agenda or advice giving, acceptance of the imperfection of humans, forgiveness, true wisdom-- there are so many seeds we can plant so that Gods Kin-dom can be near to us.
And like the woman who mixes the yeast in with the flour and watches it rise until it is three times its original size, we can be confident in knowing that our efforts will expand further than we could ever imagine. I have seen deep listening and acceptance make a difference almost immediately in a person's life. And most of us have been a healing presence to a friend in need or a loved one who is sick or suffering through a difficult time.
As we look around us, all of Fort Collins is ablaze in beautiful Fall colors. It is a gift from God who is the Ultimate Creator. As we embrace the beauty that is right in front of us, let us add to God's glory by planting some seeds of kindness and expanding God's Love here in our corner of the world.
Amen
Photo by Mei-Ling Mirow on Unsplash
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