Over the last few decades it’s become increasingly clear just how interconnected our world is. An increase in average temperature in the Arctic raises the sea level around the world. An increase in output of oil in the Middle East drops prices throughout North America. An increased awareness of violence erodes trust within our global civilization.

Jesus’ parable today brings to light the unseen networks that tie us together. Whether ecological, economic, or interpersonal, our world is inextricably interconnected. These connections beneath the surface are the root system that tie together the weeds and the wheat. They cannot be separated without causing unpredictable and inexplicable harm to each other. Jesus recognized this thousands of years ago and tried to show us how much we depend on each other.

As I go about my day, help me to be sensitive to how my life is tied to that of others: how their gain is my gain and how their loss is my loss, or, how my gain is their gain and my loss is their loss.

—Juan Ruiz, S.J., a scholastic of the U.S. Central Southern Jesuit province, just completed philosophy studies at Loyola University, Chicago IL.