The Parable of the Leaven (in the New Testament) suggests that God is never more present than when things are going wrong. The leaven. . .could be physical, mental, or moral disabilities in us or in those we love. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God is present there; just how it is present is what we have to figure out. This is the challenge of everyday life. God is always there, but everything in us may say "God can't be here." Or we may ask, "If God is all merciful and all powerful, why is he allowing this to happen to me?". . .What God is looking for is not to change situations that seem horrendously destructive or corrupt. He is hoping to change us. Changing us may sometimes require disasters.
Father Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.
Father Thomas Keating O.C.S.O.