Too Many Choices Is A Good Thing

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

One of the best things about living in Hawaii is that from the time we are born we're exposed to communities of diversity. People of varied religions, races, and socio-economic situations lived together, shopped in the same stores, went to the same schools, and played in the parks and streets together. To be honest, I didn't realize there were differences which divided people until well into my teens.

We just didn't grow up that way. My best friend was Filipino/Portuguese. My neighbor was Japanese. Across the street lived a Chinese family. I played marbles with a Hawaiian. All of my friends and neighbors had families that worked as waitresses, bank tellers, laborers, mail deliverers, and business owners.

The best thing about all that is how none of it mattered. We treated everyone as friends and neighbors, never once categorizing one another into groups. Our little community functioned very well for being a diverse group of people.

Today's passage reminds me about the neighborhood I grew up in. To some it was a seed which, when planted, could grow into something great. These were the leaders within the community, our teachers and community board members. To others it was like finding a great pearl, those who were willing to give everything they had to make our community a better place - the volunteers who did all the work.

There were those who mixed yeast into the bread, who did their best to bring people together to accomplish the goals of the community. And there were treasure seekers, those who did their best to find the good things in our community and were willing to give everything they had to keep the good things in that community. Everyone had their own place in the neighborhood, and everyone did what they could to make the neighborhood a better place.

Such is the Kingdom of God.