How many people does it take to make a difference? One. One song can spark a moment. One tree can start a forest. One bird can herald spring. One smile can bring a friendship. One star can guide a ship at sea. One vote can change a nation. One candle wipes out darkness. One step begins each journey. One touch shows that you care. One voice can speak with wisdom. One life can make a difference.
Just as the greatest trees in any forest begin as a seed, the greatest movements in history have often grown out of small beginnings and often those who began such movements did not live to see the outcome of their work. Louis Braille, for example, did not live to see his “alphabet” become widely used by the blind; Vincent Van Gogh did not live to see his art impact the beauty of our world. Susan B. Anthony died when her movement for women’s rights was still a tiny and insignificant seed. Martin Luther King died before the civil rights movement had taken root in our country. Oscar Romero died when his movement for justice in El Salvador was still a tiny seed waiting to take root.
No seed is so tiny that God cannot make a tree out of it. So if we think anything we can do is too insignificant to change people’s attitudes, then we have not understood the practical message of today’s scripture readings.
If we think that anything we can do is too insignificant to save the life of an unborn child or someone contemplating suicide, we have yet to understand the true meaning of the kingdom of God.
If we think that anything we can do is too insignificant to bring someone closer to God, then we have not understood the practical message of today’s readings.
If we think that anything we can do is too insignificant to spread God’s kingdom on earth, we have not grasped what being a disciple of Jesus is all about.
If we think that anything we can do is too insignificant to make a difference in someone’s life, we are ignoring our mission, which is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
I doubt that I would be standing here today if some people in my past, including my father, had not impressed me with their example and their conviction. Nor would I be here if I did not believe that I could do the same for others.
Paul raises the point that the lives of all of us are to be revealed before the tribunal of Christ so that each of us may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. What we do largely depends on the degree of our self-love. Unless we love ourselves, just as God does, we cannot love others. However do not confuse self-love with self-centeredness or self-esteem.
Self-centeredness is the sin of selfishness. Self-esteem is the preoccupation of feeling good about one’s self before being able to love others. Self-love, on the other hand, is regarding ourselves as being important and valued by God.
And we are important. Everyone in this gathering is important in God’s plan for making his kingdom evident. “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?” Jesus asked. The kingdom he speaks of is not rooted in geographical or political reality, but rather in human hearts. Using the parable of the Mustard Seed, he makes the point that the kingdom of God will flourish and grow even though its beginnings seem very small and insignificant. From small acts of kindness arise the great success of the kingdom of God.
While the gospel today has nothing to do with Father’s Day, in a way there is a link. Jesus speaks of the sower as a man of great patience, who had great faith in growth. The harvest would take place if you waited long enough and believed strongly enough. Most dads, like the sower, learn to trust, not just in human efforts but also in God’s good providence. And some, like Thomas More, went on to become saints.
The kingdom of God is our endeavor to bring about the presence of God in the world around us. As the image of any plant suggests, that happens quietly, gradually, and gracefully. As Jesus observes, from the seed emerges the ripe produce in due time.
So think of something small and relevant, like yielding to a car trying to merge onto the freeway, passing a bottle of water to a panhandler on a hot summer day, making a donation to our 3 P’s program to help Good Cheer feed the hungry in our midst, welcoming a visitor or new comer and inviting them to stay for a visit, or writing that long overdue letter to a relative or friend. Your small gesture could certainly make a difference in that person’s day.
Consider the many tall cedar trees here on Whidbey Island. I was told that their seeds are smaller than the proverbial mustard seed. Yet God’s power enables those seeds to become majestic trees. Likewise, God’s power did the same for many ordinary people in the past whose ideas left a big impression on our world. God can empower us to the same, each in our own way to build his kingdom in our midst.
One poet summarized today’s message with four brief lines: Where will tomorrow’s trees come from? / From the shoots we plant today. / Where will tomorrow’s justice and peace get their start? / From the seeds we sow with our hearts.