Reflection - Bonsai

By Steve Hall

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080721.cfm
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Matthew 17:14-20

Early this past spring, the time was a bit before Easter, I happened to see a different sort of packaged idea at the local WalMart, presumably meant for a child’s Easter basket. I was intrigued and bought one. It was a gardening kit. Inside were three colorful plastic eggs that could be split in half, a package of planting soil and three packets of seeds: one each of watermelon, sunflowers and beans. My four year old grandson followed the directions in a child’s meticulous way — filling half of each egg with dirt, carefully placing three seeds in each egg, watering gently and covering with the other half of each plastic egg. Less than a week later my grandson was again at our house and I was eager to show off the progress of the plantings. As I presented to him the results of his endeavors, an open mouth smile spread across his face. The beginnings of life are amazing!

Early this summer my grandson’s farming adventure developed into an adult experiment as the ‘hothouse’ eggs developed into a full fledged greenhouse, the tiny parcel of dirt became large dirt-filled bins and the watermelon, sunflowers and beans expanded into squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, kale, peas, chard and lettuce. (I wish WalMart would keep their ideas to themselves.) Nevertheless, it is amazing what can sprout and flourish from a tiny seed.

In today’s gospel Jesus offers an observation about seeds. The particular seed presented for consideration is not the smallest of all the seeds. There are several other contenders for that top prize; I believe carrot seeds and poppy seeds might be among them. Flax and chia seeds may also be candidates for the title. But, in the Gospels, as he does so here, Jesus has a few things to say about seeds — or about faith, or about faith compared to seeds, or seeds compared to faith. Faith is being sown among the people of earth; the consequences are worthy of consideration.

Some seeds fell on good ground, some on rocks and some among thorns.
The farmer sowed good seed; the enemy sowed wheat.
The man sowed mustard seed which would become a large bush, or even a tree.

As these different parables came to mind, an image of which Jesus was probably unaware also came to mind.

Bonsai.

Bonsai is the art of recreating nature in miniature, creating living works of art which can survive anywhere indoors. A common misconception is that the plants used for Bonsai are genetically 'dwarfed' plants. But Bonsai trees are normal plants, propagated like any other; however, they are trained using sophisticated techniques to keep them miniature.

Seeds are planted, nurtured and they grow. Some are slow to germinate; others do so swiftly. Some mature at a minuscule height; others are destined to become enormous. Some can await an infrequent rain; others soon die for lack of moisture. The variety goes on and on because of the diversity in plants with which we have been blessed. All of this variety can be examined within the varieties of our response — or lack of response — to the gift of faith.

However, in the Bonsai process the seed is planted, the plant is encouraged to grow and then the natural process is interrupted to suit the desires of the planter. By putting limitations on the roots, trimming the plant and other specialized techniques, the plant is forced into an artistic form designed by the artist. Faith was not meant to be that way even though some might attempt it.

You might observe that the very idea of faith being treated as a bonsai plant is far fetched. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is one thing for the seed to sprout and take root; it is another for those roots to be restricted to a minimal amount of soil. It is one thing for the newly sprouted plant to stretch forth into the world; it is another for the branches to be judiciously trimmed so as to fit the will of the human master. It is one thing for the plant to be given free reign to be all it can be; it is another for the plant to be restrained so as to fit designated confines. So it is with faith. Faith was never meant to conform to our desires or to be limited by our choices. As a gift it was never intended to conform to the one who received it, but rather that the receiver should conform to the faith. It is inappropriate that what God has revealed should be modified to fit our desires. If there is a faith worth having it is not one for us to restrict, or trim, or manipulate.