Maybe It's Not the Dirt Today

We always talk about the dirt, but I think we miss one of the most important lessons from the Parable of the Sower. Recently I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on things like the dignity of work, co-creation with God, and other facets of Catholic Social Doctrine. Pope Leo reminded us in his most recent encyclical that our work is part of our call, our vocation, and not just a way to pay our bills (ideally). It is a way we co-create with God and build the culture and society around us.

But then I look around. How do we approach the world with creativity and a sense of co-creation when there is so much division, hatred, violence, proactive work against the very Gospel we are striving to live?

That is when I realize, perhaps today we need to hear the Parable of the Sower, not as those identifying with the ground, but with the Sower. The Sower scattered the seed with intention, determination, and did not hesitate to scatter over the poor ground. The Sower scattered the seed. They did not stop to evaluate who was worthy of the seed, what the possible reception would be, what the short or long term growth might become. The Sower sowed.

Are we willing to be this dogged, this open, this generous in our work? In our vocation? In our lives as we live out the unique way we seek to bring God’s Love into the world? Are we willing to recklessly scatter our words, actions, and energies even if we know they will fall on hard ground as well as fertile? That reckless, abundant, generous act leads to the growth in the fertile soil, but it also fed the birds. I cannot help but think of the prayer from Bishop Ken Untener. I embracing recklessness with our scattering of the seeds of God’s love that we carry, we do not know what may come of those seeds strewn with abandon.

Today I encourage you to be a little more determinedly reckless and to look for the seeds scattered by others that you can help nurture.

“This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development. …

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.”

-Bishop Ken Untener