Our incredibly short winter, with a rare burst of rain followed by continuous sunshine has led to a forest link growth of weeks in my yard. They’ve taken over several corners that seem to be places where the wild things are. I’ve noticed them growing among the many paving stones that make up the paved areas of our yard. They’re growing alongside alyssum that I’ve long along planted in those spots for beauty and for weed-control: if they’re growing there, then there should be no room for weeds. The desired plants should be monopolizing the soil, not leaving space for those subversive weeds to sneak in. But in the sudden burst of green emerging from the dirt in the past weeks it can be hard to distinguish between undesired and wished-for plants.
Jesus tells a parable in the gospels about just that – the wheat and the weeds – [Matthew 13:24-30]. His green-thumb wisdom, undoubtedly a common cultural knowledge, was to let the sprouts grow together, until you can distinguish wheat from weed, good from bad. To make it more interesting the language of the text informs us that he’s talking about a weed that looks exactly like wheat until just before the time of harvest.
So today go out and pull some weeds – recently sprouted, or well-established; in your yard or a public space; in between stones or along the path. As you do reflect upon your own life, or maybe the communal life of your faith community, or other “communities.” Where are the places and spaces in you – and them – that are undesired, like competing weeds cooking out long term growth and vitality? Where are the spots of growth for good, sustainable, life-giving, creative-inducing? Are they obvious? Or are they similar to what Jesus is talking about with weeds resembling wheat?
Spend some time reflecting on the green life and your own, or that of your faith community in meditation and prayer.