A friend of mine calls the work to uncover the roots of emotional blind spots “hunting for buried treasure.” This delightful framing encourages me to tenderly sift amongst my doubts and fears with more ease. What hidden jewels of self are these intrusive tendencies protecting?
In the Parable of the Weeds,* we see the impulse to focus attention on others rather than self. The servants were clearly itching to yank the weeds out of the landowner’s field. Pulling weeds out of the gardens of other people and communities seems especially sensible. Surprisingly, the landowner decided to allow the weeds to stay amongst the wheat, to preserve all of the good in the garden. A careful separation of wheat from weeds would come later.
Applying this parable to my interior garden, my appreciation for weeds grows. While I can intentionally sow the best of seeds in the most fertile soil of my existence, far from conscious thought, doubts and fears can also engage in their own planting. The result is a blend of wheat and weeds, an internal landscape of what I intentionally planted and what planted itself in my space. I see that weeds can give shade to tender sprouts of wheat. They can fertilize or hold moisture in the soil. Weeds can benefit bees, butterflies and other small creatures. Perhaps I need to pay closer attention to weeds, to prepare for a careful separation of harvest from waste when the time is right.
The landowner’s decision to allow wheat and weeds to grow alongside each other reveals an appreciation for the complexity of life. I sense that there is some buried treasure here awaiting further exploration.
–Kate Lasso, 8th Day Faith Community
Something more…
“The Seed” brings to life the words of Rumi: “Once the seed of faith takes root, it cannot be blown away, even by the strongest wind – Now that’s a blessing.”
