Hybrids

How can we judge the good guys from the bad guys?

How do we tell the weeds from the wheat?

It's abundantly clear to all of us that we have evil in the world.

This very day, hundreds of people are being killed by war and terrorism.

In Gaza and Israel, the Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and all the other hot spots.

Innocent people, like the passengers on that Malaysian airliner.

There's deep-seated evil behind all that.

This very day, thousands more are being killed by hunger and crime and neglect.

There's deep-seated evil behind that too.

And there's plenty more evil causing pain and suffering.

From greed and envy and all the vices.

What can we do to rid the world of that evil?

It's not just floating out there in the ether.

(Although there is plenty of evil in the ether—in cyberspace.)

The evil has more concrete roots.

It's rooted in individuals—the individual weeds.

But Jesus tells us in his parable to let those weeds grow.

Live with them, work with them, be patient.

God will ultimately deal with the weeds.

But we're sure we know who the weeds are.

Why shouldn't we rip them up, or chop them down, or spray them with poison?

Because we don't know enough about each particular weed.

None started out as a weed, and none has to end up as a weed.

These weeds can change; be genetically modified.

What looks like a weed today could be wheat tomorrow.

Our imperfect judgment would surely,

Destroy some weeds that were destined to be bountiful producers.

And drive away some who would have otherwise been drawn to transformation.

We see examples in our own lives.

We see famous examples throughout history.

Look at St Paul.

The early Christians knew he was a weed.

He was persecuting them, leading them off to execution.

But then, on the road to Damascus he was transformed.

He delivered a most bountiful hundred-fold-increase crop of wheat.

Not only can weeds change, but at least as far as we can see, none of the plants are pure.

They're all hybrids.

Each individual plant has some mixture of weed and wheat.

We don't have to look too far, or too deeply, to see that we ourselves are hybrids.

I see some of my old friends out there in the ether—on Facebook.

I know they're not weeds.

But I see some pretty weedy behavior.

From the things they post, it would seem that:
Some endorse or champion the death penalty;

Some even endorse torture for the vilest criminals—an eye for an eye;

Some begrudge a hungry child a free meal;

Or oppose giving safe haven, or hope, or opportunity to a struggling alien;

Many are quick to label and quick to judge and condemn.

That doesn't make them pure weeds.

But, just like me, they're not pure wheat either.

We're all works in progress.

Hopefully we're still growing, and still taking in life-giving nourishment.

So that in the end we'll be sufficiently transformed.

So, for now, what can we do to rid the world of evil.

We can speak out against evil acts.

We can do our best to defend ourselves and others from evil acts.

We can remember to hate the sin but love the sinner.

We can work to rid ourselves of the evil within us.

We can help spread the Good News.

Fulfill our role in helping the Kingdom of Heaven continue its growth.

Growth from mustard seed to the largest of plants.

From pinch of yeast to full batch of dough.

When we see weedy behavior in another,

We can help guide that individual to transforming nourishment.

That's our job as disciples.

To guide, to draw-in, to inform, to show the way.

By our word and example and actions.

The actual transformation is up to God and each individual.

As we know, and as we're reminded in today's passage from Romans,

Only God knows what is in the heart.

Only God has the wisdom and knowledge and authority to make the final judgment.

And that's Good News for us hybrids.

That's where we can place our trust and our hope.

In our God.

Who was so encouragingly described in our Psalm and our passage from Wisdom.

Our God who is all just and all merciful.

Our God who is good and forgiving.

Our God who judges with leniency and clemency.

Our God who judges infinitely better than we ever could.

16th Sunday of  Ordinary Time

Mt 13:24-43          Read this Scripture @usccb.org