The Kingdom of God is like pollen.

This is the season of pollen. Many of us are super-aware of that fact. We either see it or feel it. It’s either coating our living spaces or aggravating our nostrils. It’s an unavoidable, intrinsic part of our lives. So, too, is the Kingdom of God.

Pollen is necessary and leads to life and beauty. It’s also quite annoying. So may we alleviate some annoyance by attaching a sense of Divine to pollen. May we consider how our pollen experience is like a Kingdom experience…

Firstly, it is everywhere. My first spring in North Carolina brought with it an alarming yellow dust. It reminded me of the red dust used to save humanity from the carnivorous aliens in V. As I set out for my commute to work one morning, I found the dust everywhere. It had completely transformed my truck from a dull silvery to a turd-y brown. The puddles from the previous night’s rain were little cesspools of yellow particles. I saw more of those particles afloat in the air! I knew I was breathing them. When I later returned home to fix some lunch, I found the inside of our toaster lined with dust. (It actually caused a small toaster fire the next spring–learn from me: keep your toasters away from open windows.) Everywhere I went, there too was yellow dust. I later learned the invasive substance was pine pollen.

I tried to wash the pollen away. It only came back–and stickier than before. It was like a cloud of tiny sponges, dried out and ready to soak up the moisture. One can’t easily remove the presence of pollen. Can the Kingdom be so easily avoided?

In Springtimes hence, I haven’t paid the same amount of attention to the dust–which leads to another Kingdom analogy: It’s way more noticeable to some than others. It drives some folk crazy. Others hardly notice. Though it is present to all of us.

But we need pollen. It brings beauty and life to our world. The trees in my back yard require pollination to produce their apples. Pollen leads to sustenance for life. I get excited to see bees picking at those trees. Pollen works best when it’s carried. I know these bees will make it more likely that the trees bear fruit. Sure, the pollen may spread on its own, but the carrying bees sure make it a lot more effective. And don’t they get fed in the process?

The Kingdom of God is like pollen.

Each Friday, we offer up some words of devotion. May they provide for us inspiration in living faithful lives.