This morning my gospel reading was Jesus’ parable of the sower and the four soils. How apropos! Yesterday, we witnessed in Joe Biden a different kind of sower and a different kind of seed. For a moment, attempt to be objective. Consider the stark contrast in his tone and words from the previous sower and his four years of sowing hatred, division, and deception. Pay attention to your heart's response and simply notice how the difference in tone sits with you. In other words, how you felt after listening.
Each one of us, in this wide, diverse land we call home, heard words yesterday of hope and healing; a call to unity, service and justice. Gospel words. Good seed. Seed sown in stark contrast to what we consistently witnessed from the previous seed sower.
I can imagine the wide diversity of soils that “tuned in” or “tuned out” yesterday. Hard soil, unwilling to receive good words from good people due to their cynicism. Shallow soil, emotionally moved by a moment of inspiration yet lacking determination to put effort into love and compassion. Soil filled with thorns that stoke fear and choke out life—blinded by misinformation and lies that suck all remaining truth into a black hole of nihilism.
Our hope is both in the soil we cultivate as well as in the seed which is sown. The soil needs good seed and the seed needs good soil. The seed alone is not enough. And so, each of us would be wise to take a moment to be circumspect and consider the condition of our own heart.
Are we good soil? And, if not, how can we amend the very ground of our hearts in order to receive gospel seed and become a truly fruitful participant in God’s loving experiment with us?
Comments