THROUGH UNTRUE
In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord Jesus Christ compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which He describes as “the smallest among all seeds” (Mark 4:30-32). At first glance, it might seem like He is belittling the Kingdom of God, which is infinitely greater than the universe, the intricate network of organs and functions in the human body, or the complex and unpredictable workings of nature.
In truth, Jesus used the metaphor of the mustard seed to teach us that in all grand undertakings, small matters matter. God’s reign comes to fruition through actions and events we often consider too insignificant to notice.
Many of us mistakenly believe that our lives are shaped by spectacular events that have a dramatic impact on the way we think and live. This misconception is fueled by the pervasive influence of the mass media, which typically reports only those events that are too shocking or fearful to be ignored.
When a typhoon levels down a city, when the peso declines in value, when prices of essential commodities unexpectedly increase, when a heinous crime is committed, or when war breaks out, the mass media considers these newsworthy. Seldom do they focus on the small dramas that occur in the lives of ordinary people.
In reality, significant changes and upheavals in our world are usually shaped by small, unnoticed events, which generate a cascade of wildly unpredictable scenarios. Often, it is only in hindsight that we realize the immensity of such events. George Herbert’s witty poem aptly describes this. Let me modify it a bit:
“Because it has no bullet, the gun is lost.
Since there is no gun, the soldier is lost.
Without a soldier, the war is lost.
So, the war is lost for
want of a small bullet.”
Little things mean a lot. In a way, we seem to be doing the opposite of what Jesus wants us to do. We are downsizing everything in the name of progress. Don’t you notice? We have compressed the planet into a very small place where, thanks to the internet, distance has been bridged and time differences abolished. We are no longer separated by land and ocean. Our world has shrunk into a small viewing room where we have become seatmates, staring obsessively at monitors and screens as we indulge in social networking or watch sports, movies, soap operas, newscasts, and talk shows.
We have transformed our world into an interwoven and interactive network of virtual images that we, anonymous receptors, mistake for reality. Our country is no longer composed of independent individuals. It has become a nation of 110 million cabled, cellphoned, and earphoned couch potatoes who are mere statistics in the latest TV or internet viewership surveys.
Although many of us still hope for the Kingdom of Heaven as our destiny, many more are looking forward to a new earth where rich countries and big business corporations will provide for all necessities, tranquilize all anxieties, and eliminate all diseases and conflicts. While many of us think of eternal redemption, many more dream of being redeemed from ugliness, bad breath, dandruff, pimples, unwanted fat, and other physical maladies.
Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a little seed so we will appreciate how small beginnings can lead to greater ends. But our idea of downsizing is to dismantle our world and recreate it according to contemporary culture, permeated with the attitude of belittling lasting values and amplifying trivial things that carry a hefty price tag.