When Is a Weed Not a Weed?

Bindweed is a smooth operator.  It masquerades as morning-glories, and is welcome until I find that there are few blossoms AND that it’s choking my broccoli and tomatoes.  It grows overnight, just like Jack’s beanstalk; today’s three-inch tendrils wave saucily where last night was but empty ground.  It infiltrates my orderly vegetables and happily displays its plan to own the entire garden….  Where is Homeland Security?  Scriptures this weekend attempt to replant hope in the soul- gardens of those weary with identifying and excising the tawdry among the turnips.

“Well,” says God through Isaiah, “here you are in Babylon.  But do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?  You are my witnesses!  Is there any god besides me?”  (44:8)  Tell us again a story of personal bravery, of a community regathered around its common faith; we’d half forgotten.  There are so many unlike us growing alongside; without belittling the other plants, how do we maintain our belief and worship, our understanding of God’s mercy?  As Chaplain Jan Abel says, “Who am I to call a plant a weed?”

Romans 8:12-25 is much too profound a passage to treat all at once.  If I were into “sermon series”, I’d take this verse by verse for many weeks.  Three major things are happening–first, Paul calls believers to accept their adoption by God and thus believe that they have become heirs of the Kingdom; second, that “suffering” goes with the turf, “for the creation was subjected to futility” (v.20); and thirdly, that “in hope we were saved” (v.24) .  This hope is all we can cling to, considering how radically different the values of our surrounding society appear…  When is a weed not a weed?

Which brings us to the Gospel parable, Matthew 13:24ff.  How did all these weeds get in our wheat-field?  If we rip them out now, the whole crop will be lost!  Maybe if we tolerate ’em until end-time, God will sort out the Good from the Bad.  The danger here is grave:  if we subscribe (as Paul does) to this binary universe, there’s no room for Grace.  Calvin constructed a useable system to explain the controversial:  we’re Good, they’re Bad (too simple for me).  What do we do with the guys who ate meat on Friday?  Or the tax-collectors?

I’m often puzzled about how much to assert my counter-cultural ethic.  Especially as I’m trying hard to be inclusive to those who’re “different”.  How wide can the Church grow while still being identified as the Church?  Should I be less harsh on the bindweed?   The Good News is that almost every year SOME vegetable or flower appears in the “wrong” place that I haven’t planted there…  So when is a weed not a weed?  When it’s a tomato!   (Now, can I give you some mint?  It’s about to eat all the chives…)

God Bless Us Every One                       Horace Brown King

My understandings of the lessons to be heard on the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com