Small beginnings with a transforming effect

Having been given a jar of my son-in-law’s sourdough starter, I have been daily at pains to keep a routine of feeding this living culinary wonder. The first loaf has been made – let’s hope I can keep this up and not have a repeated episode of the neglected Tamagotchis in the late 1990s!

The hidden from sight effect of yeast through dough has been pondered for centuries. It is amazing, isn’t it, to see it work through a whole batch of dough and take its effect?

In human interactions, we can see similar for bad and for good, whether it be the latest spread of gossip or Twitter storm, to the wave of kind benevolence from a social media outreach plea.

How many times have you been in a situation when the whole room changes when someone shares their story or a comment?

Happy chatter is turned to awkward silence, or knife-cutting silence turned to joyful tears rolling down the cheeks!

Similarly, in the soul, unresolved anger can turn to depression, and yet forgiveness can turn to peace. Our whole mind, body and soul is subject to being affected by small beginnings.

Jesus’s shortest parable gives another slant.

‘The kingdom of heaven is like Leaven (sourdough starter), which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour till it was all leavened.’ (Mt 13:33).

Agape Love – the way of the Kingdom of Heaven – ends divisions within families, between gender, nationalities, churches, (Galatians 3:28) when it is allowed to spread like yeast.

‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is done in heaven.’ Reverend Chris Holden, The

Fishermen's Mission.