Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"
I have been a bird watcher in my time, though I am not an early riser, and I have hopelessly tried to watch the little sparrows, wrens and warblers in the bushes. By the time I trained my binoculars on the spot where I'd seen them, they were gone. Bushes are great hiding places for little birds. They move easily among the twigs and branches that only discourage predators. Feral cats and hawks will have to catch them somewhere else.
Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God is like that bird-hiding bush, but at the moment it's only a very small seed in the farmer's hand. Tragically, there are many vulnerable souls unprotected at the moment.
And so we cultivate our homes, churches, hospitals and schools to develop safe places for lost souls. My mother, for several years before she died, was on-call night and day for children who might need transport to a safe place. Despite the worry of her own adult children, she was up like a shot when the phone rang at two in the morning, to take a girl from a suburban convenience store or fire station into downtown Louisville. Carefully trained, she would not ask why this child needed help, where she lived or who her parents might be. She only assured the waif, "You're safe with me." as they drove through the night.
This effort might seem a small mustard seed to some, but it effects much good. Who knows but a president of the United States might be a child or grandchild of one of her rescued souls? Perhaps she will know the story of her grandmother's harrowing night and the woman who saved her.
Our first mission as Christians is to create safe places for one another. Saint Benedict commanded his monks always to offer hospitality to strangers and travelers; their monasteries were havens for refugees fleeing war, pestilence and famine.
The married couple that Saint Paul describes in his Letter to the Ephesians feels comfortable in one another's presence; they create an emotionally and spiritually comfortable place for their children. With long experience they become skilled at working out their differences. Divorce is no solution and never an option.
Our parishes too invite people with disagreements to agree on the fundamentals of faith, we believe in God the Father almighty.... With that understanding no opinion is terribly important.
A safe place is not without disagreements, tensions and challenges. It absorbs and reconciles them with the assurances of faith. It remains always open to grace, that divine presence of God which reminds us that nothing is more important than our caring for one another.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.