February 21                                                                                       Mark 4: 26-34

 

As I reflect upon Mark’s scripture, I am looking through my window watching the snow falling outside.  The snow clings to the tree branches and shrubs, and blankets and quiets the earth.  Surely the beauty of this scene is God’s creation. 

 

Although we are in the middle of January, the snow is somewhat of a pleasant surprise to me.  Only last week it was 55 degrees and I had walked around my yard surveying my flower garden.  I had forgotten to cut back one patch of perennials at the end of summer.  As I reached down to trim them, I was surprised to see that just under the soil was bright green growth! In the Parable of the Growing Seed, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a seed that grows and sprouts in the soil even as we sleep and rise, night and day. Reading the Parable reminded me that just because we do not see something with our eyes, does not mean it doesn’t exist. 

 

When I was a young girl, my Aunt Jennie gave me a rather unique necklace as a gift.  On a long, shiny silver chain hung a small round glass ball with a tiny seed inside.  She told me that the seed was a mustard seed and although it was one of the smallest seeds, it grows into one of the largest trees.  I loved that necklace because it represented all the possibilities for my life; I could do or become anything I wanted.  It was a symbol of hope enriched by a faith that out of the smallest comes the greatest.

 

As I prepare to cast a vote for a new President in November, I am listening closely to the candidates positions and watching their interactions.  It would be easy to be discouraged.  Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran are racked with violence and destruction.  Racial tension, religious tension, poverty, crime, hunger, homelessness, recession, and people without healthcare coverage are problems that seem daunting and insurmountable. 

 

In the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Growing Seed, Mark affirms hope.  Thank goodness for Mark!  I believe Mark gives us hope that in this suffering and tumultuous world there is a seed secretly at work, growing and breaking through the ground, reaching for the light.  We need not despair.  Against all the things that keep us down, Mark sees the possibilities for our lives and our world.  The seed is breaking through distinctions of race, sex, nations, poverty and religion.  Perhaps we are the seeds that God has scattered on the earth, nourished by faith and hope, believing and spreading God’s love everyday.  

 

I wonder how I can affect difficult situations in the world.  What can I do?  The mustard seed reminds me to start with the small things.  I can be kind to the people in my home, family, neighborhood, school, and community.  I can be a good friend, a good listener, and lend a helping hand to those in need.  I can be gracious and humble.  Nothing grand, just small acts of God’s love and grace for each person I encounter.  Hopefully, each small act will nurture the possibilities for positive change in myself, others, and in the world.  Hopefully, each small act will help the seeds of hope and faith grow and spread.  Just think of the possibilities!

 

                                   

~ Ann M. Sarra