Every time...

 

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Every time someone uses their freedom of speech to spread hatred, 

I think of this parable.

Every time someone takes a wonderful movement of love and turns 

it into a brutal world of judgement and exclusion, punitive control and 

hypocrisy, I think of this parable.

Every time a preacher or bishop twists the Good News of generosity in 

community into a get rich quick scheme at the expense of those who trust 

them, I think of this parable.

Every time people falsely believe themselves superior to others racially, 

sexually, economically, mentally or in any other way, I think of this parable.

Every time people claim to love the one who told this parable while doing 

just the opposite of what the teller taught, commanded and modeled on how 

to be faithful to God and Neighbor, I think of this parable.

Every time I see people struggling to survive because others have made their 

lives that hard for their own gain, I think of this parable.

Every time I see people being treated shamefully and the ones doing it feel no

shame, I think of this parable.

I think of this parable an aweful lot.  There is a lot of aweful.

But there will be a turn around.  It will come.  There are people who bear good 

fruit in the world and who sustain life instead of destroy it with others.  There 

will be a turn around when the movement of love does not die but thrives, and 

people come together because they see the wisdom, the hope and the sustainability 

of living that love.  There will be a turn around when people recognize the weeds 

for being weeds again, and leave them alone while they thrive, because the good 

fruit shall not be overcome by the weeds in the end, but will grow and thrive and 

produce in the lives of all those God loves.  There will be a turn around.

And the wheat...

And the weeds...