Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”
Yeast, of course, is a germ; it's used most commonly in brewing beer and making bread. Unfortunately, after Pasteur discovered that germs were spoiling French wine, and the world realized they cause many diseases, we were seized by microphobia and set out to sterilize the world. We would kill anything that looked like, acted like, or suggested a germ. With the recent Covid-19 epidemic we flood our kitchens, living rooms, dens, and bedroom with alcohol-based gels to sanitize the universe.
But germs are also good things. There'd be no life on Earth if it it had not started with microscopic life forms. Humans have been using bacteria for thousands of years to prepare food and drink -- among other things -- and could not survive without them. Pickles, cheese, sauerkraut, sausage, beer, and alcohol, to name a few -- are produced with germs.
Finally, I have heard the typical adult has about three pounds of germs in our intestines, in our mouths and lungs, on our skin, and within our ears; and our brains weigh about the same. We need both but we make better use of the germs.
Jesus appreciated the value of yeast germs and taught that his disciples should raise the standards of human ethical living. We are kneaded into society, almost invisibly because we speak the same languages, eat the same foods, and wear the same clothes. We bless the world by our committment to marriage and family. We deal honestly with others as citizens, neighbors, colleagues, merchants, and consumers. Our courage inspires others to heroic action by the Spirit that moves in us. We persuade not by coercion but by example.
If we fail in this mission, we are good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. And we have a long history of that. Will Christian and Catholic votes make a difference next Tuesday? Will we leaven the level of discourse or be thrown up like ptomaine poisoning?
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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.