Hi everyone,

So these water restrictions that we’re in have really been doing a number on our lawn. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why we have the restrictions and I’m in full support of limiting our water from waste and unnecessary usage, and honestly even without them I’m not sure how much lawn watering I’d be doing anyway… but at this point in early/mid July, our grass is deeeeee-aaad. Or dormant, as it were.

But you know what isn’t dead? The weeds. Somehow those little buggers are growing greener than ever. I actually don’t mind this as really, it just makes them easier to spot in the midst of all the brown, and thus easier to yank out. But at the same time, it also makes them easy to spot and we just focus on them and realise how bad the lawn in general look because let’s be honest, ain’t nobody got time to be yanking out any weeds…

But isn’t some green better than no green? I guess it comes down to what our definition of “good” is. Or even “green”.

Here are the readings for next week:
Isaiah 44:6-8
Psalm 86:11-17
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
and a video of them being read:

The first thing that jumps out at me about this parable is how the first place the landowner’s mind goes when they discover the weeds in his field is that “an enemy has done this” like this is the best way to hurt someone… hit ’em right in the crops.

So of course, his workers would want to rectify the situation by immediately removing whatever the ailment is, namely weeds. But the response of the landowner is curious, that they should just leave it until harvest and they can figure out what is what at that time. The rationale is that pulling out the weeds now might pull out the wheat as well, which i suppose would make sense if the weed was wrapped around the wheat, shared roots with the wheat, or were somehow indistinguishable from the wheat.

And maybe that’s the lesson here. When we try to cut out the bad in life, in our communities, and in ourselves, are we sure that what we see as bad is bad? Are we sure that what we think is good is good? And is it possible that cutting one out might lead to adverse results?

Now, I’m not saying that we should just live and let live without a care of what is good and bad, but I wonder how quick we are in deciding what is what and then acting on that decision. I wonder how much time is spend on the discernment of what is true or not. I wonder how much space we give in our own paradigms for perspective, growth, and maybe even change.

Because what is good or bad today might not be the case tomorrow. What is harmful or helpful might not be set. I don’t know if there is a blanket answer that will allow us to draw such deep lines right off the bat. But maybe we need more time, more grace, or maybe more love in order to act with mercy with others and ourselves.

Again, I’m not saying that we should just let everything go and allow a free-for-all or anything, but perhaps we just need more openness to other thoughts and opinions and viewpoints before we can really (if ever) solidify our own.

I hope your week goes well!