Watching Yeast Work

In the past week, we’ve been given a very clear image of the Kingdom of God at work. A man helped a stranger who had been shoved to the ground to stand. And then he turned and put his body—indeed his life—between another woman and imminent danger. Alex Pretti lived out qualities of God’s Kindom for the world to see. He valued the life and health of the people around him, and he acted out of that, as Jesus did. Whether he ever acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and Savior or not, he followed Jesus’ teachings and example. As Jesus expects us to do. He acted in Love to protect the vulnerable. He demonstrated patience and gentleness as he moved to deescalate a situation that was becoming violent. He did not resort to violence of any kind. And we could list many more qualities of God’s Kindom manifest by his actions. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (Jn 15:13-14) Whether he even knew it or not, Alex Pretti did things Jesus commands all of us to do.

Jesus contrasted God’s Kingdom to the kingdom of Caesar, which also made itself very obvious to the world, as it has been doing. (As much as I like the imagery of God’s Kindom, of that connective fabric holding all of being, I also like to use the imagery of God’s Kingdom because in speaking of it, Jesus totally delegitimated that of Caesar.) That kingdom depends on domination and violence and contempt. We saw a man literally hiding who he was acting in the name of a power setting itself up as God, just as Caesar did. He acted with violence toward the peaceful, vulnerable and unarmed. He acted as if some lives have more value than others and took a life as if it was his right. There is no question in my mind which of these two men was the stronger.

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” (Matt 13:33) There is so much evidence of God’s Kindom rising before our eyes these days. We have to look for it and name it and allow it to work in our hearts and minds and spirits. The domination of those working counter to God’s purpose—even if they claim to be doing God’s will while manifesting no qualities of God and the things of God—are so easy to focus on because our reptile brains prioritize where danger may be coming from. Turn your eyes. Look the other way. Find the subtle rise of Love and the things of Love operating around you all the time.

The dough in which we live and move is being leavened big time by this invisible yeast of the Spirit Kindom moving ever so surely to bring everything into the Light. It is all around us if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And willingness to look away from the kingdom of this world.

The monks walking from Texas to Washington, DC have been all over the news and social media. They are giving people so much hope. On a purely logical level we could say their walk is stupid, claim that it won’t make any difference on the powers-that-be in DC. Who knows what DC will make of their witness, of their possible fool’s errand. But with every step they take and every word they utter to the crowds, those with eyes to see are watching the rise of Kindom yeast. They are making a difference on the powers-that-be everywhere they go. The powers-that-be depend on fear and division and disconnection and might. The monks walked through my city and folks who saw them reported feeling love, hope, joy, and a deep sense of peace—in place of the normal anxiety that’s been so prevalent—and so much more. Where the monks walked a profound silence fell among strangers who had been chatting as they waited. And what did they speak of when they talked? They didn’t mention politics, but spoke of simple and powerful things every one of us can do: put down our devices, pay attention to our breath, sit in silence and simply connect to ourselves and our bodies. They were telling everyone to become contemplatives, knowing that in connecting to ourselves, we also begin to connect to all of life.

Will we hold onto the feelings? Nope. We can, however, return to noticing our breath, or stilling our bodies, or simply paying attention to our feet touching the ground. These simple acts create spaciousness, just as yeast does inside a flour and water mixture. And so, the yeast that is the Kindom gives us space to breathe, the space in the moment to see and hear what we are normally blind and deaf to. The yeast opens space to see and hear ourselves in new ways. It makes space for us to choose love or patience or kindness over the normal reactions of anger or fear or resentment or even violence.

Working yeast is being manifest all around us, not just in big situations like Alex Pretti giving his life to care for others or a group of monks walking through snow and ice to speak peace into our lives. Wherever in moments we come in touch with ourselves, with one another, or with God (however we understand and name that One that brought us into being and sustains our lives), we’ve encountered the yeast of God’s Kindom. Where people are doing their shadow work through prayer or in therapy or in teaching and learning situations, yeast is working. Where people are more intentionally praying or meditating or simply staring out the window while drinking their morning coffee, the Kindom is rising. Ever so subtly maybe, but enough for the day is enough for the day.