The Seemingly Insignificant

Is it just my imagination or does it seem that insignificant things in life are not really insignificant at all? You may think this is an odd question but allow me to hold up some things offered in scripture that just may dispel or better, may reveal something that if overlooked could get in the way of our life-purpose while we exist on planet earth.

 As I have indicated in other entries, Jesus makes it a priority to emphasize the importance of the seemingly insignificant. Here is an example. While Jesus went about ministering to all kinds of people, he had a tendency to minister to those to whom the religious of his day had neglected or ignored.  He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes and would regularly receive criticism from religious leaders for his actions.

Another example was the encounter Jesus had with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well recorded in the gospel of John chapter four. The religious leaders looked down their noses at the Samaritans considering them to be second class citizens or worse.  Additionally, the encounter he had with Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector, had climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus as he passed on the road. It is not so much that these people were insignificant but their seemingly insignificance was created by those whose opinions carried much weight within the religious community.

As I was meditating on this idea the parable of the mustard seed flashed across my mind. As I gave thought to what I had been taught regarding the mustard seed, all of a sudden the seemingly insignificance of this very small seed surfaced. In spite of the seed’s size, once planted, produces one of the largest plants in the garden. You can find this example in the gospel of Matthew 13:31-32. So in essence, maybe size does matter.

The significance of this insignificant seed, once planted and mature, becomes one of the largest herbs in the garden resembling a tree. The benefits of such a tree like herb has branches where birds can perch. It also offers shade for those needing to find a cool place to rest in the heat of the day. If the farmer chose not to plant this seed due to its small insignificant size thinking that what it may produce will also be insignificant, then the potential hidden within its seeming insignificance would never be discovered.

If we project our opinions of others based upon how we view them, their life style, their outward appearance, their economic status, their education, their behaviors, their culture, that may be different from our own, we run the risk of lumping these children of the most high God into judgmental categories whereby we simply turn our backs on them and walk away.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to discover how people of privilege continue to seek ways of distancing themselves from those to whom they have judged insignificant. What I hold up for those reading this entry and myself to consider is to be absolutely aware of the importance of the insignificant. If we as human beings begin to recognize our value based on where we came from and to whom we belong, we just may begin to see the value in everyone we meet. We are spirit beings made of Love. It makes a big difference when we recognize our Source and we make the decision to reflect Love’s Source to everyone.