Borne
on the breeze, His seeds are scattered,
Seemingly
spread at the whim of the wind.
Some
will find purchase, some will lie battered,
But
each holds the code to a life without end.
And
so go the words of the Sower in question,
Cloth-eared
disciples are handed the key.
But
Truth only germinates when it’s clandestine,
Faith
is the blind spot that’s needed to see.
Strewn
on the pathway, His seeds are downtrodden,
Then
come the birdies to pick the plate clean.
The
words have been heard but then quickly forgotten,
An
email from heaven lost somewhere downstream.
It’s
hard to hear truth when it’s had such a bashing:
Deepfakes
and chatbots and mad culture wars.
Savaged
by soundbites and gone out of fashion,
Truth
often seems like a desperate cause.
Devoted
consumers hard-wired for compliance,
With
comfort our default, we’re flattered by liars.
So
how shall that voice that is finer than silence
Be
heard in this market of artful desires?
His
seed then alighted on dry, stony ground,
And
speedily withered, possessing no roots.
These
folks cried “Amen!” but then rapidly found
That
walking the talk is a trying pursuit.
They
heard all the words, but their hearts were too faint,
Were
moved for a moment, but didn’t bed in.
The
first sign of trouble, they filed a complaint:
Such
fair-weather faith never really begins.
Spiritual
tourists out shopping for highs,
Emotional
junkies just spinning their wheels,
And
when the bliss fades, they won’t wish you goodbye:
They
might come tomorrow; they’ll see how they feel.
Others
are smothered by briars and thorns,
Choking
the seedlings and starving their fruit.
All
smiles at church, but their souls are withdrawn,
Their
minds have gone AWOL, the Word is on mute.
Lulled by suburbia’s siren slumber,
Dulled
by the rhythm of daily cares,
Numbed
by perplexities without number,
Succumbed
to a dosage of mild despair.
They
go through life’s motions as though it’s a game
While
wired to devices designed to distract.
“The world’s on fire? That’s a terrible shame.
We’d love to commit, but our schedule is packed.”
Safe in their siloes, they’re cushioned from pain.
When living in Heaven it’s easy as pie
To
imagine the Kingdom as more of the same
And
never think why that a seed needs to die.
Yet
what of the few that found nourishing ground?
Ah,
now our sad litany takes a new turn.
The
scattergun strategy seemed less than sound
But
now its true genius may be discerned.
Their
seed it sank deep in the dark soil of soul,
With
slow, secret sustenance, swelled and took root.
Then
the first germs of faith felt the sun and unscrolled
And
new life erupted in gleaming, green shoots.
For
they heard the Word and it rang in their ears,
Their
hearts were invaded, their lives altered course.
Through
trials and hardship they still persevered,
And
they multiplied life with miraculous force.
For
the Father He knows every seed that will grow;
No
earthly appearance can give us a clue.
We
must sow willy-nilly, to the four corners go,
Then
watch open-mouthed as He makes all things new.
For
our least word of faith is like gold in His hands,
For
His light, self-propelled, vaults the vacuum of doubt
Till
it pierces the heart and a soul understands,
And
the high halls of Heaven resound with His shout!
Phil
Clarke 2023