I’ve been visiting some family in Canada this past week – in Manitoba, not too far from A Rocha Canada’s Pembina Valley Guesthouse. Sitting in the hot afternoon sun watching the poplars shimmer in the wind, we saw a large flock of blackbirds fly overhead.
“That means fall is coming,” said my dad. And in Canada, that’s probably true. Summers here are short and sweet. It made me think about this past summer, which has been anything but. There has been an overwhelming amount of violence in such a short window, and it is starting to feel like there is not a place on earth it hasn’t touched.
For some, this summer has been the worst of their lives, and for a great many more, it has left us with anxiety, fearing for the future.
What can we do when we are afraid? The Bible tells us to think of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air (Matthew 6:25-34).
In light of that, here’s what I do: I water the tomato plants; I plant a seed; I put out some birdseed. These are actually radical acts of faith, when you think about it. We have faith that in an unpredictable, dangerous world, God will provide everything that a little plant needs so that it can give us what we need.
We have faith that there will be a tomorrow, and that maybe tomorrow my daughter will want to eat a tomato from the garden. We are called – we are blessed – to be able to help with this process and play a part in this grand vision. I have faith in tomorrow, so I should water today.
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