This summer, Mark and I cleared out our garden – pulled all of the weeds, turned over the soil, mixed in compost and glacial dust (I’d read that that was good for growing things). Mark used sticks and string to make lines, we built poles for the beans and thinned the raspberries. I love my garden. I absolutely Love It.
This year I got really busy – but not in my garden. This summer has been incredibly good for growing – the weeds love it.
When I go out into my garden, I’m looking among the weeds for any sign of the seeds I planted. I’ve consistently been amazed at what I’ve found. Despite the absence of my care, I have found carrots, potatoes, garlic, beans and peas (just to name a few).
They may not be there in the number I had planned on when I planted, but they’re there, like little treasures, and I’m delighted when I find them.
I’ve been left thinking about the seeds I planted. I’ve been left thinking about seeds in general.
What is Matthew doing with all of these parables? Although I am not opposed to them, there do seem to be a lot throughout July and August.
I love where Dixie took us this morning in her sermon and I encourage you to go online to listen to her . What I heard her talking about is that we have the potential of both weed and good seed within ourselves. We have to hold and own both. We have to explore both.
I’ll admit to having some long weeds within me. They’re pretty deeply rooted even. They’re those parts I’m embarrassed by, and some that I wish were not there.
But there’s also some really good seed.
I attribute most of this to my experience of love and loving. I attribute most of this to my understanding of the life of Christ, the life lived in Christian community – life like the life we lead here.
Seeds are planted and weeds grow alongside.
Sometimes we get so obsessed with the weeds that we lose the jewels of the good and great within ourselves.
Sometimes we get lost only seeing that which we would rather not in people around us, but sometimes we get a glimmer of more. Sometimes we encounter another person, and find such beauty.
I feel like the world is not as black and white as Matthew’s parable would have us believe. There is good and there is bad in each of us and in all the world.
I think that we can choose where we want to put our energy. Sometimes that which looks like a weed, really is not. Sometimes we just have to look harder.
