Today as we celebrate the feast of St Laurence I’m reflecting on this from today’s gospel:
“Unless a wheat grain falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Those who love their life lose it; those who hate their life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.”
Like so much of the gospel they are a mixture of promise and hope, challenge and uncertainty. I’m consoled by the comment Jesus makes as he explains something of the “hour” that he’ll face to his followers, “my soul is troubled” he tells them. We’ve seen so much pain and suffering in the past week that we can easily echo Jesus’ words in our lives.
Our hearts are troubled by all that we’ve seen unfold in this hardest of weeks. In the face of all that Jesus invites us to let go, to acknowledge the suffering and fragility we all experience. Doing that opens us up to our common humanity, and that brought to mind another text. In his letter to the Galatians St Paul tells us:
“Make no mistake… Whatever a person sows, that is what will be reaped.”
He reminds us that we are not without agency. Even if we seem powerless in the face of overwhelming circumstances. we can choose which type of seed we want to sow. In response to these disturbing circumstances we can choose speak and act in ways that acknowledge our common humanity in all its diversity.
We can choose to risk reaching out to others. We can be prepared to listen to perspectives that are different to ours. We can change our society by sowing seeds of friendship and trust, not those of hatred and division.
Where is Christ inviting you to sow seeds that will yield a rich harvest in friendship and trust?