“FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW.”

– PAUL KELLY AND KEV CARMODY

Mark the Evangelist writes, “Jesus also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’” (Mark 4:30-34).

In a society that prizes success in the form of big achievements, large-scale changes, and access to power, the imagery of nurturing the small parts of ourselves is countercultural. We can underestimate those people who appear small. Often, smallness is equated with weakness, or dismissed as inadequate. The Christian story offers an alternate perspective.

The mustard seed is an unlikely symbol of the promise of God found in this concept of the Kingdom. Interestingly, the mustard seed in question is neither the smallest in an absolute sense nor does it produce the largest plant. Jesus’ audience was more traditionally accustomed to grandiose descriptions that likened Israel to the great cedar trees of Lebanon or the richness and abundance of the olive and fig trees. Jesus turns these on their head. Thomas Keating, one of the most notable Christian mystics of the twentieth century, presents the parable of the mustard seed as a revolutionary and incisive template of the workings of the Kingdom, “A mustard plant was forbidden in a household garden because it was fast spreading and would tend to invade the veggies…. According to Jesus, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which some man illegally planted in his garden. It became a shrub and a few birds nested in its modest branches. That’s all.” Other authors highlight the contrast between the small beginnings and the dramatic large endings of the parable. The Kingdom may have humble beginnings, but all will find a place in the shade of its wide-reaching growth.

The first Conference of the Society started with seemingly small foundations. Six young men gathered with a mentor to work out what they could do to respond to the crippling poverty and dysfunctional economic conditions of their country. In those first months and years of the Conference of Charity, they faced criticism for the limited impact of their work. They persevered. Members worked in their neighbourhoods; building relationships with those they visited and growing roots in their communities. Word spread of their good works and other people were inspired to join. The Society grew. More than two hundred years later, it continues to grow in over one hundred and fifty countries. It is more than one tree: it is a forest!

J.R.R. Tolkien, a man of deep Christian faith, in his great literacy tome, The Lord of the Rings, wrote, “He believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” Much like the words of Jesus Christ in the parable, our tradition recognises that there is great power and wisdom in the commitment to smallness.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• Do you agree that a commitment to smallness is needed? Why or why not?
• Where do you see the Kingdom growing in your everyday life?

From: Firewood for the soul, vol. 2, A Reflexion Book for the Whole Vincentian Family
St. Vincent de Paul Society, Queensland, Australia.
Text by: Samantha Hill and James Hodge.