By the Way: ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed’

By Rev. Kristy Reimers-Loader on February 21, 2026.

Hey, guess what came in the mail the other day? Yep, it was the spring edition of my favourite seed catalog. OK, maybe it’s no big deal to most folks, but every winter I look forward to flipping through the pages of this little booklet while I dream of fresh herbs and fragrant blooms in my yard.

No, I’m not a great gardener, but a girl can dream, right? To be honest, these days, the potential in a handful of tiny seeds and a sprouting garden bed is just what I need to take my mind off a whole lot of difficult thoughts about the world around me. And I reckon if I can grow some stuff, at least I’m not paying an arm and a leg for it at the grocery store.

So that’s something. It’s hard to dislodge those niggling worries and uncertainty about the state of the world, though. I feel like one of the disciples of Jesus when they cried out, “Increase our faith!”

A lot of water’s gone under the bridge since that day, but the response he gave them back then still feels true today; “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…”

The disciples could have told a mulberry tree to be uprooted and plant itself in the sea, and it would have happened, or they could have told a mountain to relocate itself, and it would have done it. According to Jesus, nothing would be impossible for them, if they only had faith.

As my colleague the Rev. Joseph Yoo has said, “Faith is a verb. It’s action. It’s something you do.”

This goes along with my own conviction that faith means actively trusting in God, and trusting that God is active in the world.

Well, do you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to act on what little faith I have (and managed to hold onto thus far). I’m going to find some good earth, put some of the fertilizer that’s so plentiful these days to good use, and I’m going to plant some seeds.

God willing, something good will spring up and grow. Spring is just around the corner, friends, bringing new opportunities for a fresh start; may your faith be great and your garden green. Amen.

Rev. Kristy Reimers-Loader

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