LABC Update – Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Thanks to Amy Dalton of the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice for sharing this reflection on voting.

From Sr. Sharifa Vernice Meytung:

The Gospel reading for Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, is Luke 13:18-21.

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

In contemplating these verses, I’m reminded that mid-term elections in the U.S. are in a matter days. For many practitioners of the Christian faith, going into the voting booth with an inspirational bible verse helps to clear the mind and steady the hand. This reading from Luke can help steer our thoughts towards choosing candidates and supporting policies that nurture and expand our freedoms and rights.

When Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to an earthly experience, he visualized a large bush with branches welcoming the birds of the sky. A bush grown from a mustard seed planted by a man in a garden. As well as the expanding properties of yeast that a woman mixed in to leaven the dough she had measured out. These two references together, paint a picture of inclusivity and expansion: of action and agency. Here, Luke, the painter, achieves a sense of equity and balance – a lofty vision of a heavenly kingdom on earth.

Such a vision can become a mantra as we walk into our voting booths: “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?” Jesus gave us a vision and a mantra to hold onto. May our votes include and expand, a wish of good will towards all.