God is always at work, but we don’t always notice. Rob Lorenz, SJ, reflects on how the natural world teaches us about the sure but slow and often silent work of God. Based on the readings from the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Have you ever been to a National Park? Hi, I’m Rob, and this is my one-minute reflection.
Natural wonders may seem timeless, but it’s easy to forget that at one point, the Grand Canyon was just a ditch, a Redwood seedling was a foot tall, and the Rocky Mountains were a row of hills. What’s there today is the product of millions of years of geologic and biological processes that we don’t normally notice.
In a similar way, Jesus tells us that from humble beginnings, small seeds of their own accord produce abundant grain harvests and large mustard plants. We all have an idea of what we want our lives and our world to look like, but we can become discouraged when realities fail to live up to expectations. In those moments, it’s important to remember that the power of God’s love–just like erosion, photosynthesis, or gravity–is always at work, even if it seems slow or insignificant.
This is not an invitation to passivity but to faith and trust that God is using our lives to create something new and beautiful.
