Lent Meditation March 5: Planting the Seed
Judges 16:1-22
Mark 4:21-34
Philippians 1:27-2:3
The optimism and hope of a year ago seems to have evaporated, doesn’t it?
It’s beginning to look as if we’ve set up our mighty hero to fail. We’ve seduced him to take on a role of great leadership and then left him hanging. We even find ourselves trying to seduce him into taking strong steps in our behalf and then tearing him down for the attempt. Talking heads speculate nightly about possible sources of his strength and plot the time line to his ultimate failure. We are withdrawing our support and splintering our unity and refusing in fear to plant even the seeds that will, in time, produce our salvation. We seem to do this again and again in our history. Set ‘em up…knock ‘em down. How completely Philistine!
As I think on this, I see that I sometimes forget that the seed, sometimes very small, must be planted before there can be a harvest. I find myself selfishly desiring some result or other that is important to my own parochial, fear-generated interests. This to the detriment of any effort to take the first few steps necessary to my ultimate rescue and the rescue of the community of humanity.
I pray that I will be given the wisdom to support the planting of the tiny seeds that will produce a mighty tree that will shelter all of us. I pray that humility and communion rule in my heart and my mind lest I compete self righteously for my own narrow demands.
I pray that I may be strong enough to live my life in “loving consolation” and “warmth of compassion”. I pray that I may “fill my cup of happiness” with the “love for one another…and a common care for unity”.
I pray that I put aside “rivalry and personal vanity”.
I commit myself anew to look to “others’ interest and not merely to [my] own”. To let my “conduct be worthy the gospel of Christ”. For I believe that in this will be a “sure sign of my salvation, and one afforded by God”.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Nathan Moon
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