Matthew 13:33
Jesus told them a parable: “The kingdom of [God] is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
There seems to be so much that is negative these days. We are six to seven months into a Covid19 pandemic alert around the world. We have had the most unusual weather we can imagine over the same time frame. If you consider only the turbulence in the United States, there have been extreme winds, water inundation, and storms blown in over the seas that have left havoc behind. There are unprecedented wildfires burning throughout the west. Many have lost their homes. People are suffering from racial hatred, hunger, and despair. People seem distant, tempers flare easily, and there is a lack of communication when points of view differ. Politics add an ugly garment over it all.
And then, in the most unexpected manner, some miracle of hope and promise shows up. It happens to each of us if we just keep our eyes, ears, and minds open. It happened again to me yesterday.
My husband and I took the ferry (as foot passengers) from Kingston to Edmonds and back. While in Edmonds we had made a major purchase and we were returning via the ferry to our car in Kingston. Some place along the way, I lost a major receipt and paperwork that was critical to our purchase. I looked everywhere but to no avail. We had no choice but to go home. Late that night, the phone rang. A worker on the Washington State Ferry called to say she had found a receipt and attached papers that seemed to be important. We worked out an arrangement for me to retrieve it on Sunday. What a wondrous gift of kindness. The worker did not need to do that. She did not know me. But she cared.
Even in the darkest of times, there are these little lights of hope and caring that occur. How important it is for us to feel the blessings of those moments. It also reminds us that we have opportunities to be lights of encouragement or joy to others.
It is what a Christian person calls living in the Kingdom of God. It is not a future world in which to live but a present time where we are God’s agents to make life better or easier or more just for the other. We are to be those who see the kindness of others and say thank-you. We are to be the bringers of hope and goodness. The 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew defines this Kingdom of God on earth in various ways. In this verse, the yeast represents the quiet permeating power of God’s kingdom. Only a small amount is needed to make a difference. We are that yeast.
Prayer: God of hope, thank you for those who bring joy and goodness. Help us not to become depressed about the ugly or the awful that want to dominate our thoughts and lives. Help us to be yeast to the world and lights of Hope because we care. Amen
Song: “This Little Light of Mine”