29 October 2013 - hidden in plain sight.

29 October 2013 - hidden in plain sight.

The Kingdom of God is hidden in this present world.  If we know what we are looking at we see the fruit it bears.  But we can't clearly see from where that fruit comes.  Without faith we only see mysterious growth.  We see some dough leavened but we don't know that yeast has anything to do with it.  Yet in spite of this hiddenness nothing is unaffected.  The "whole batch of dough" is leavened. 

But it is more extreme even than this.  At this prsent time we see sufferings.  Yet these very sufferings are the seed of "the glory to be revealed for us."  We see "futility" in the form of violence, death, and entropy.  Yet the futility of "slavery to corruption" itself only exists because of the hope of freedom.  Futility does not say to creation, 'give up.''  It does not say that to us.  It says, 'look to God, not to your own resources.'  Futility itself is the seed of hope.  If it was not, God would not permit it to exist.

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Let us sow these seeds attentively and with love knowing that this leads, eventually, to joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.

Our mustard seeds give rise to something so much greater than anything we can be on our own.  They produce an abundance which we can share with the whole world.

When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”