There are two notable references to the mustard seed in New Testament scripture that feel relevant to this Street paper and the world right now. One passage, which uses a metaphor for Heaven (Matthew 13:31-32), describes a farmer who plants the smallest of seeds, and yet it grows into a big tree that holds all the birds of the air. The other reference states that faith, even the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains and accomplish the seemingly impossible.

It was easy at that age to designate who was “good” and who was “bad,” a narrative which I carried into adulthood until I encountered a “criminal” in my life who flipped that understanding on its head: the criminal, Jesus.

There is a cliche that says, "Respect is earned, not given." However, there is another side of that coin – human dignity – which recognizes that all persons hold an intrinsic value merely for being a human being.

I have found…that seeds of faith need two things: to be planted, and time to grow. This has been the story with Mustard Seed Mountain street newspaper.