... and small and silent but unlike the yeast:
- Bad ideas and attitudes which, however small, can still be highly corrupting (Galatians 5:1-15).
- There is an ‘old yeast’ – a life of malice and wickedness – that must give way to...
- ... a ‘new bread in Christ’ – leavened with sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8).
In all things, Jesus opts for the insignificant
Jesus, through the image of the yeast, reminds us of the potential within the small and insignificant.
Just as yeast leavens, silently, so the gospel seeks to influence and transform. We must not just sit passively by, waiting for God's great and direct intervention, avoiding playing our own small part in his mission.
Sometimes the silent but decisive action of Jesus’ followers, resolutely living out their faith in all places and at all times, is more powerful than the oppressive structures created by the corrupt.
Do we believe this?
As an organisation, Tearfund’s aim is to work towards influencing the models and processes by which we are governed. How can we have a positive influence in the midst of so much corruption
Corruption and injustice, with all their grasping tentacles, stand insolently before us. What good are our small contributions? What chance do we have against these evil giants? In the face of so much wrong, we may feel discouraged. We may even believe there is little we can do. We are mistaken! Remember the boy, the shepherd, who needed only a stone to bring down a fearsome giant
Transformation that is necessary and possible
The teachings of the Bible and the example of Jesus show us that transformation is both necessary and possible. Transformation can and must happen through small gestures, attitudes, actions and commitments.
Let us dream and work, then, to see faith communities engaged in an effective movement that fights corruption at the same time as promoting justice and integrity. Our world needs the good yeast of the gospel, and that is our Father's will. Do we see it that way?