Weeds

The warmer Winter has now turned into a hot Spring here in Central Pennsylvania. It looks like we will be slipping back into some colder weather soon but in the meantime the greenhouse temps have caused both blooms and weeds to arrive early like party-crashers. A good cold snap will do both harm and help to the early growth. In the meantime, yesterday, I had to get into some hand-to-hand combat with the nasties. I donned my long pants, long-sleeved shirts, leather gloves, boots, and a hat--like a horticultural haz-mat suit--and went to war on the weeds. 

I am not allergic to much in this world but some weeds like Thistles cause me to break out with hives as a teen with acne. Sort of like Superman with kryptonite. How wise it was for the creators of Superman to retain an element of vulnerability in even Superman. Nietzsche, take heed.  In his poetic babbling on about Ubermensch, he went down. "He who exalts himself will be humbled," (i.e. humiliated) God promises.    

About two hours later, with probably close to 150 pounds of weeds and attached dirt, deposited in my own little Gehenna in the corner of the back yard fronted with a white picket fence, I rested and reflected. Today, I am quite sore. Weed picking is serious business. 

I am so happy that I have a location to send all of the weeds and leaves here in Suburbia. The spot is ideal for it exists in a space that has a fence on the left side, a neighbor's shed on the back side, our shed to the right, and the cute white fence up front like a grinning toothsome smile (btw, when my wife was blogging on her foodie website, I had to tell her to stop using the word "toothsome" over and over again...I can use it for this is the first time I have employed the term).  Concealing and fronting the jaws of death.  

In the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus says some weeds are to remain, for to take them out will ruin the good crop also. Only the maturing of the respective good vs evil plants will show which is which. Other weeds are clear from the start and should be taken out immediately. I am thinking that such weeds in a person's life and in the Church body must be pursued relentlessly. In the field of the world however, God will judge the weeds. Lax church discipline is much neglected in our age. The consumerist-orientation permits people to come and go, shop around, and treat church like QVC, where some pastors act like those smarmy hosts. "Thanks Mildred for calling and buying 450 do-dads." Let me be clear, though. Church discipline should not be hateful, spiteful, self-righteous. Instead it is to be administered lovingly, for discipline is love.  

When, I was attacking the weeds yesterday, I was armed with a small sturdy spade. I could pick at the leaves from the top all I wanted but the problem was/is that as long as the roots remain, the weed will come back and continue to promulgate and multiply like, er, weeds. It is only when I get below the roots, do the weeds surrender the fight. Then, I cast them into the waste heap to rot with all of its nefarious friends and co-conspirators. The War on Weeds never stops for the weeds long to prosper. Stay wary and let not the weeds rest. Take it to them fiercely and set your face like flint.