Again he [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (New International Version)
Working with Seeds
I grew up on a rural Mid-West America farm. Working with seeds was our livelihood. Even though my farming father worried incessantly about the weather, there was one thing he was never anxious about: seeds.
My dad knew that when we planted seeds in the Spring, there would be a harvest in the Fall. That’s because he knew the seed already has within itself everything it needs to germinate, take root, grow, and produce a harvest. His role was simply to tend to it all by keeping the fields free of weeds, worms, and critters.
Since I was the youngest, I typically got the grunt work of our massive family garden. I was always excited when we planted things because I knew what was coming in a few months: some delicious veggies on my dinner plate which were fresh from the garden that I myself tended. I never wondered whether there would be food on the table, or not.
Seeds are, of course, small. If you think about it, they appear quite unimpressive. Yet, we know better. We understand that when planted, watered, and cultivated, those seeds turn into amazing plants.
But it takes time. Even as dumb little kid, I clearly knew that my planting seeds would not result in seeing anything above ground the next day. I understood it would take a few weeks before new growth would break the ground.
Seeds and the Kingdom of God
The kingdom of God, Jesus told us, is like a mustard seed – a very small seed which can grow into a tree big enough for birds to nest. Unlike the mighty Roman Empire, or contemporary powerful national governments, the kingdom of God had humble beginnings. It grows, over a long period of time, to become a force greater than anything the world can produce.
While our world races forcefully on with the speed of the hare, Jesus is carefully and patiently building his Church at the pace of a tortoise. In the end, the kingdom of God will rule over all creation, while the kingdoms of this world shall no longer exist.
Even though many of us now live in a society where quicker, faster, better, and stronger dominate everything, still the best things in life come as a result of tedious perseverance over an extended period of time.
We are in such a hurry to accomplish our goals, make as much money as we can, and keep constant vigilance over our work. And for what purpose?
When we forget to slow down, or worse yet, believe slowness to be laziness and/or stupidity, there is a price to pay.
Lessons of the Seed
In graduate school, I typically read an average of 200 books per semester. Yes, you read that right. I had to keep up. I was on the clock with deadlines for papers and projects. In the factory, where I did a stent as a worker, I did piece work at the rate of 100 per hour for 8-10 hours. I had to go fast to survive and keep my job, let alone thrive. All of this, of course, impacted my mind, body, and emotions – in very uncaring ways. It was all done at the cost of my physical and mental health.
Indeed, our modern capitalist societies generate an unparalleled level of wealth and standard of living. But this has been achieved at the cost of devouring our planet faster than she can replenish herself. The stress we have put on mother earth we would never think of putting on our own mothers.
Even our attempts at leisure and self-care are anything but. We often end up racing to have as much fun and relaxation as we can cram into a few days or weeks of our “time off.” A return to the normal rat race has us telling each other, “I need a vacation from my vacation.”
There is such a thing as death by overwork. So, we desperately need to come back to the words and ways of Christ – to embrace the slow developing rhythms of grace. We need to age like a fine wine or an expensive bourbon, getting wiser as we get older.
Time is a precious gift given to us by a good and wise God. And that gift must be stewarded well. All the things that bind people together and make our lives worth living – family, faith, friendship, and community – all thrive on having copious amounts of time with each other (and God) in relational connection.
We are, I believe, in a pandemic of having no one to listen, of profound loneliness, and of incredible lostness of soul. The only real prescription for these debilitating maladies is slowing down and taking the time to be, and to be with each other.
Seeds are Slow
Instant gratification will not do the trick. We need to plant small seeds, and then take the time to nurture them and watch over them. While the rest of the world rages and roars on with their disease of speed, believers must carefully cultivate spiritual practices which foster healthy growth and development.
Whether we like it, or not, we serve a slow God. And what’s more, because slowness is built into the very nature of the world, decelerating our lives actually works. Life eventually becomes better, not worse.
You and I have the God-given right to determine our own pace and tempo – without anxious systems of power squeezing every ounce of speed and activity out of us, sucking our souls to serve a worthless idol.
I, for one, would not be opposed to creating a society known as “The Royal Order of Sloths,” or joining a group of slow walkers who label themselves as “Sauntering for Sanity,” or simply be straightforward with an organization known as “The Society for the Propagation of Slowness.”
That’s because the best things in life take time; and those things need us to slow ourselves enough to notice and enjoy them. Eventually, we shall find that the world is blessed because of our commitment to embracing the small and the slow.
Let us pray for all the world, and also for ourselves, knowing that what we ask in the name of the Lord, will be heard according to God’s mercy and patience.
Almighty God, we pray for faith, even as small as a mustard-seed, and for the love to nourish and nurture it, so that it may grow and flourish. We pray for the church throughout the world – that people of faith may work together in unity and in prayer to overcome evil and to promote true love among all people.
O Lord, you are the beginning of all our good, the wellspring of all our love and the source of all our freedom. Let your grace continue to work in us, that your will may be done through us, and that we may always rejoice in your presence. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 