Recovering Herbicide

My name is Fr. Rolo Castillo and I am a recovering herbicide. When I was growing up, patience was not exactly one of my more outstanding qualities. In the 2^nd or 3^rd grade, I’m not sure when exactly, we conducted an experiment in science class that involved a styrofoam cup, a handful of dirt, and some dried beans. We were to observe the seeds sprout and mature over a few weeks. But I was not very patient to start with, and I wanted those beans to mature faster than God intended. So I overwatered them, baked them in the sun, and left them out all night. After a couple more days of waiting, I couldn’t wait anymore. So I dug up the seeds to see if they were still there. When I was convinced they had not run away, I wondered what took them so long to push through the soil. Needless to say, my lack of patience cost me the life and future of those little beans. The implications were devastating. My dad would plant a vegetable garden every summer, and I couldn’t even grow beans in a styrofoam cup. But time heals our wounds. I do appreciate trees, plants, and all manner of vegetation, and I like to think I am a little more patient now than I once was. Yet my recovery and rehabilitation will take time. And essential to that process is the courage to admit my negligence.

In the past I thought I could care for plants. Don’t we all? I have since caused the untimely demise of a couple of hanging potted ferns, begonias, fuschias, petunias, poinsettias, and a couple of cactuses. Some weeks ago I took home a handful of stringy stonecrop (my plant identifier app tells me) from a friend’s garden, but gratefully they don’t need a lot of attention and care. And it’s doing well. And dandelions thrive on my lawn. So maybe I have outgrown my herbicidal tendencies. But we can never truly be sure.

My inability to keep plants alive has not prevented me from keeping alive and caring for most other living creatures. So when Jesus compared the reign of God to a farmer sowing seed in a field, or to a mustard shrub with branches large enough for birds to nest in, I am glad he only meant it as a figure of speech. If the reign of God was some kind of plant, I’m in trouble.

Whenever we come across images like this of the reign of God being likened to something or other, we must remember that Jesus is using a teaching device, a parable, to explain some unfamiliar reality by comparing it to a familiar and known reality. By its nature therefore, a parable presents us images that are both similar and different. It is easy to see how the images are different. But the similarities are not always so evident. After further reflection, I have concluded from my short and unfortunate career as a caretaker of plants, that the growth and development of all living things take time. It takes time for the dehydrated seed to reabsorb moisture and begin the process of dying, for its outer shell to break and be shed, for new life to emerge from death.

The reign of God will prosper and reach maturity just as a tiny seed will become a mighty tree. But it does not happen overnight. It can not. It is the nature of all things mortal to take whatever time they need. But what is this reign of God Jesus speaks of, comparing it to a mustard seed? This reign of God is the tangible presence and observable action of God in our world through the words and example of true believers, by their welcome, their compassion, and their thanksgiving, by their service, their outreach, and their suffering. The unmistakable evidence of the reign of God among us is that those who claim a link with the God of Jesus Christ do in fact live the values that Jesus Christ lived and taught: mercy, compassion, justice, peace, honesty, faith, hope, unconditional love. They may not speak eloquently about these values, but others can tell they understand them by the manner of their lives. These followers of Jesus have allowed the seed of faith to grow and prosper in them. They are apostles of the Word sent to renew the face of the earth by the power of God’s eternal Spirit. And if by their words and example they enrich just a handful of people, perhaps these people might in turn welcome the invitation to open themselves to God’s grace and be transformed by faith. Perhaps they then might be so transformed that their words and actions reflect the values of Jesus Christ as well. And they in turn might enrich a handful more people, who might themselves be transformed and in turn enrich a handful more people. By the consistent and humble witness of true believers, the reign of God matures and prospers. The question we must ask is, “Are we doing our part to advance the reign of God? Do our words and example point to the values that Jesus Christ taught and lived?”

One other detail of this parable I have always found interesting is the birds that nest in the branches of this massive tree. What do they represent? They show up only to nest and to perch. That is their deal. They are not part of nor do they ever become part of the tree. When they are done, they leave, the remnants of their activities giving clear evidence they were there, their empty nests and their droppings. These are our sisters and brothers who depend on our kindness and our resources. They care nothing of who we are or why we do what we do. They have no desire to invite us into their lives or be welcomed into ours. They only want whatever it is they need right now. And when they have what they want, they take off to find greener pastures. The tree is something to use, to benefit from its branches and its shade. This parasitic dependence[1] does not diminish the tree in any way. But the birds do leave behind an abundance of droppings that provide nourishment for the growth and prosperity of the tree. So win-win.

When we strive to build the kingdom of God, we will cross paths with people of varying degrees of commitment and participation. Our job is to live our discipleship faithfully despite others around us intent only to satisfy their needs, even taking unfair advantage of our generosity. But if God is the source and sustainer of our joy, our energy, our hope, and our courage, we will not want. If we concern ourselves with the cares of his kingdom, we will see it prosper beyond our imagining. Occasionally, our example and dedication will invite some to join us. Then they, too, take up the cause of God’s kingdom. And slowly God’s compassion and healing transforms the world.

On this Father’s Day weekend, we give thanks for and we honor our fathers and grandfathers, those still with us and those who have gone ahead of us in faith, and all other father-figures whose example and guidance have nurtured us. We ask God to reward their labors and extend them compassion, and that we faithfully carry on their legacy for generations to come.

I am not proud of my history of herbicide. But I pray my words and example speak more eloquently of the values Jesus Christ lived and taught, and that the quiet growth of faith in my life gives evidence of the maturity and prosperity of God’s reign.

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[1] I was informed after mass that a parasitic dependence harms the host. I meant to say commensalistic dependence, where one organism benefits from another without harming it. Thank you Kevin.