Let Our Hearts Be Good Soil
Posted on Jul 12, 2017 by Heather Lewis
I am not a gardener. I have memories of my parents’ beautiful vegetable garden, eating snow peas off the vine and dripping in strawberry juice, and my brother’s height being compared to huge zucchinis. I thoroughly enjoy others’ landscaping and flowers, but if a plant needs much tending, you probably won’t find it in my yard — I am excited to just be able to grow grass.
This Sunday we are talking about the parable of the sower. Seeds are thrown on a path, rocks, thorns, and finally take root in good soil. When Jesus explains the parable, the seeds are the message about the kingdom: in every instance except the good soil, someone hears the good news, but falls away from it because of not understanding, not having roots, or letting the worries and deceit of the world take it away.
We have a sweet hymn that describes this parable: “Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word — where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart be good soil.”
So let us look for the seeds that are thrown our way: in the wisdom of our grandparents, in the exuberance of our children, in the caring of our friends. And let us be seed-throwers as well, spreading God’s message of love, even if it may fall on deaf ears — surely God uses us to open the ears and eyes of those who just need a little tilling of their good soil.
Heather Lewis, Director of Music and Worship