What a fungus gnat infestation taught me about God
The Spiritual Roots of Everyday Problems
Spring was in full bloom, the world outside a vibrant tapestry of renewal. But inside my apartment, a different story was unfolding. Fungus gnats had invaded…
I’d tried all the standard remedies, neem oil, sticky traps, daily soil soaks, but it was like fighting a losing battle. It was then that a thought struck me: were the gnats really the problem, or was there something deeper going on?
You see, fungus gnats thrive in moist conditions, where there is an abundance of decaying vegetation, a description which seemed to fit my apartment surprisingly well, dirty laundry on the floor, dishes in the sink… but is the house really the problem here?
As Christians, our calling is to emulate Christ. By holding him up as the highest ideal, he becomes a judge, revealing the areas of our lives that are not serving him. Just as a forest will slowly accumulate deadwood over time, we too carry deadwood - parts of ourselves that aren't aligned with God's will. Perhaps the fungus gnat infestation in my apartment was a physical manifestation of a spiritual imbalance? Maybe I’m in need of a good back burning or a soil change.
With my business partner away for six weeks and a demanding workload, I felt like I needed a day off.
In the hustle and bustle of worldly life, I’ve noticed passions in myself, pulling me towards greed. I found myself making small concessions to the truth here and there to aggrandise little old me, being prideful and judgmental towards others.
I’ve also bought some more books on spiritual life and philosophy, trying to read and pray more, but am I really walking the talk? Is this knowledge going to bear fruit? Or will it just be in labor and never giving birth?
As the fungus gnats swarm, it was the Kairos, the opportune moment to address the dead and decaying aspects of our life. The parts of ourselves which aren’t serving God. Instead of superficial solutions like stickies or neem oil, let's allow God to perform a true healing. We can confidently surrender these parts of ourselves to the cross, trusting in the power of resurrection.
So let’s spring clean, starting in our heart of hearts, the ark of the covenant, the altar. Removing any stumbling blocks and turning to God, like a beggar at a rich man’s gate. God invites us in, sits us at his table and feeds us with his hands, he gives us the living water and wields a pair of secateurs, so let’s drink and let him work.
Meister Eckhart reminds us that it’s not our works which sanctify us, but we who sanctify our works. So we must seek first the Kingdom of God and our works will be good by definition. After giving our apartment a clean and our plants a much needed soil change. Spring was in full bloom, the world outside a vibrant tapestry of renewal. The fungus gnat infestation was over and a lesson about God’s grace and transformative powers was learnt.
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:3
