13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Parable of the Sower- Matthew 13)
The last two weeks have been hectic thanks to the day job, a hectic social round, a gorgeous new grand daughter and two allotment plots. My seed just now is in strong danger of being choked by weeds or to put that in the plain language I try to use here there has been a strong danger of God getting crowded out.
On the other hand I believe in a down to earth God and that our lives have meaning so I try to find inspiration in every day life and working on the allotment there is plenty of time for reflection if not for sitting in quiet contemplation. The agricultural stories run through my mind of course; the parable of the sower and the farmer who lets the crop and the weeds together for fear of destroying the crop as he tries to eliminate the weeds. We are taming a second plot that is beset with bind weed so I have had a lot of time to reflect on weeds.
I hope you understand by now that I am not a special person bestowing wisdom on you but a very ordinary and flawed person whose message is that God can work with us as ordinary as we are and that somewhere in each of us there is the seed of something very special indeed that God wants to flourish and come to fruition.
Unfortunately we live in a fallen world. It's not a terrific growing environment - more like our new and over-grown allotment. A lot of seed falls on stony unwelcoming ground among people who don't want to know; or whose interest is fleeting, so that the seeds that are planted look like they are going to grow and then just wither but even the seed that should be on good ground can be beset with weeds; whether they be our own wayward nature or the curse of busyness that afflicts modern life.
God has planted the seed but we need to work on the ground. Christ through his death and resurrection has opened up a new possibility of relationship with God. The Spirit is at work in us even when we ignore him. My take on the Holy Spirit is a Quaker inspired one, " Take heed dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in our hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows our darkness and brings us to new life."
God seeks us out, gives us glimpses of the better people we can be. His Spirit is at work in the world helping us to encourage and inspire each other to keep the weeds at bay and build God's Kingdom; the territory under his cultivation where the soil is good and crops can flourish.
I have to hit the road now. This has been a short post but hopefully one that will get me back on track. There is more to share. I look forward to seeing you on the road.
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