Normally, after the fruit has been harvested, the banana stalk is left to wither and decay in the soil. What appears to be waste, something expendable, is simply ignored. Yet when its fibres are carefully extracted and processed, that very stalk becomes a valuable resource, capable of serving many useful purposes.
There is a quiet theological lesson here. God often brings value and purpose out of what the world dismisses as worthless.
Sadly, within church communities we sometimes fall into the same error as the world. Every now and again, individuals are spoken of or treated as though they are expendable. Those who struggle with different forms of mental illness are often avoided, marginalised, or silently pushed to the edges of fellowship.
This cannot be right.
The Gospel consistently reminds us that no human being is waste, and no life is expendable. Every person bears the image of God and deserves dignity, compassion, and inclusion within the body of Christ.
Perhaps the humble banana stalk invites us to reflect: if even what we discard in nature can be transformed into something useful, how much more must we recognise the immeasurable worth of every person God has created.