Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear Friend,

One of the places I feel most energized in my faith is at the margins of “my” worlds - at the edge of the sacred and the everyday, at the crossroads of community life and home, at the corners of service and self. In my experience, it is often in the messy parts of life where God’s presence peeks through. When things are busy or overwhelming, a surprise guest takes on new meaning than in a quieter season. When you’re on one track and veer to the side to take care of something that matters, it adds texture to the experience of life, and perhaps allows the Spirit to shine in in a different way. That doesn’t mean those places are easy, though.

Jesus seemed to know those crossroads and intersections intimately, and used examples of everyday life in his parables and teachings. Today we hear another parable of the kingdom of heaven where the stuff of life - grain and weeds are mingled. In this series of parables we hear Jesus’ explanation of that which is far beyond our comprehension - where God meets mercy and justice, where God matches human and divine.

When things are messy, or at an intersection, I pray the Spirit will show us the way growth and hope and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit, and that in those places of messiness that we may know God who goes before us.

In Christ,

Mtr Taylor