April 21, 2021
Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field ... —Matthew 13:44
If you’ve been outdoors much, you might have noticed that this has been an unusually colorful spring. It wasn’t just the beautiful flowers; many of the trees have been displaying “autumn” colors — reds, oranges, and yellows.
We don’t fully understand the “why” of autumn leaves, in the sense of knowing what value it has to the trees; but we do understand the “how” of it — that is, the chemistry of the changes. It turns out that leaves begin to produce those bright pigments, such as xanthophyll (yellow) and beta carotene (orange) in the spring at about the same time they begin to produce the green pigment, chlorophyll. Autumn pigments are actually present all through the summer; it’s just that the intense green covers them up. In the fall, the green pigment fades first, revealing the other colors that are already there.
Because the yellow, orange, etc. pigments are somewhat “hardier,” in the sense of tolerating cool temperatures, it’s not uncommon for them develop a little earlier than green in the spring, so you get a little foretaste of autumn — although the colors are usually not as intense. (Some red pigments are only produced in the spring and fall.) This spring was unusual in that they were more intense and noticeable for a longer time.
We know that many of the worldly signs of God’s glory are unseen for a time. That can be true of God’s kingdom itself. Scripture tells us, I believe, that the kingdom is here and now (Luke 17:21), but it also tells us that it can be hidden. In contrast to the leaves, sometimes our own efforts can uncover (unmask?) the kingdom for ourselves and others. Sometimes, though, we just have to wait, hanging on tightly to our patience and our faith, for it to be revealed.
Gracefully submitted,
David Petty