Seeds

Most of us are familiar with the Parable of the Sower that Yeshua taught. The sower goes out to sow seeds and flings them willy-nilly everywhere. Some land on the path and die. Some land on shallow rocky soil and spring up but then die without much root. Some land in thorns and are choked out. Some land on good soil and produce a bountiful harvest.

Before leaping to a metaphorical interpretation about faith or the condition of our hearts to receive truth, I want to stay with the image. It is about a sower who sows seeds everywhere (one might say foolishly or wastefully). Seeds bear life, and in this parable they are strewn everywhere. But seeds do not grow without reciprocity: they need good soil, sunlight, water, and air. Seeds cannot grow on their own. Impossible. Nor do they simply need assistance to grow. Seeds, soil, water, sunlight, nutrients, CO2, and a billion other contributing relationships become something new that gives back many fold, in nourishment and more seeds.

Nature works according to an economy of gift. Seeds of life strewn everywhere. Abundance is the basic principle of life. Some seeds die. Some live. It is only when essential relationships form, relationships of genuine mutuality, that things grow. Transformation occurs. Nothing is the same. New life happens. Abundance continues. New seeds to be strewn.

Last year a neighbor came to Zion for the Community Meal. She couldn’t eat some of the food, since she has no teeth anymore. She appreciated what she could. Then she said, “A while back I took a big tomato from the Thursday food give-away. It was the last one, and it was getting old. So I took it home and removed the seeds. I put them on toilet paper to dry them. Then I planted them. Now they are small plants. Can I plant them in your community garden in the courtyard?” Of course, the answer was “yes.”

Her tomato plants grew (like crazy) from tomato seeds rescued from being thrown away. Nurtured and given back with love and appreciation to nourish others.

Somehow, seed, soil, love, nourishment, interdependence, relationship, love, kingdom of heaven, all are right before us to receive and in which to not just survive but flourish.