Reading the Leaves – 11-26-24

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday’s gospel reading is here. 

Living in a four-season climate offers an ever-unfolding lesson in cycles of life, birth and faith, death and resurrection. Autumn took its time in my southern Maryland setting; only now are the leaves beginning to drop, but watching the cycle teaches me again about letting things fall away, letting things die. When the cold winds come, and the barren landscape hides all the life teeming below ground, I am reminded that there is more than meets the eye. And when things thaw in springtime, that life becomes manifest above the surface, “first the blade, then the ear and then, in time, the full corn.” (Mark 4:28), teaching me yet again about the indomitability of growth.

Jesus was a student of the seasons too: Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”
 
The “things” Jesus’ followers were to look for were astral signs, turbulence in the seas, and human distress. Hmmm… there is pretty much always something to see if you’re looking in those places. And there is always reason to think the signs we see are indications of an unfolding cataclysm. Famines, floods, earthquakes, fascism… aren’t we really in for it now? Maybe – but I suspect things may have looked a lot worse in the 14th century.

What if we looked for more subtle signs that the realm of God is near? Outbreaks of generosity, life-affirming discourse, spiritual revival, an increase in the numbers of people worldwide claiming the name of Christ and living in continuity with his life and the values of that kingdom he proclaimed? Now there’s a sign I’d love to see.

I’ve always been puzzled by this passage, because Jesus had already proclaimed that the Kingdom of God had drawn near, was in fact made real and present in himself. His miracles simply demonstrated that Kingdom life, and his stories and teachings explained Kingdom values. Yes, there will be a cosmic ending, but if we spend our time reading the tea leaves for when that is coming, we will miss all the signs of God-Life around us now. We might even be diverted from being a sign of God-Life for someone else.

Advent invites us to be watchful and aware, to seek the Christ who came, who is present with us now through his Holy Spirit, who will come again at the end of the ages. Let’s not be so busy looking for signs we miss Jesus right in front of us.

© Kate Heichler, 2024. To receive Water Daily by email each morning, subscribe here. Here are the bible readings for next Sunday. Water Daily is also a podcast – subscribe to it here on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.