The Sower is Gone but the Seed Keeps Sprouting

January 31, 2022

Scripture

Jesus said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.  All by itself the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  As soon as the corn is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’  (Mark 4:26-29NIVUK)

 The Sower is Gone but the Seed Keeps Sprouting

On Friday we said goodbye to our friend Bill Smith. He was a founding Touchstone board member and served as chair for some of the 16 years he and his wife Lorna served on the board. But the goodbyes happened incrementally over the last decade as he was afflicted with dementia – his accumulated education, experience and wisdom became lost to us in the fog.

As I grieved his death, I also celebrated his continued influence in the lives of many friends, particularly a group Bill started in Kitchener/Waterloo 20 years ago. Even though he was not part of the group for the last 10 years his influence and the richness of relationship he cultivated is very much alive.

Melanie Reist who was part of that group from the beginning said, “I have been thinking about how important his quiet behind the scenes caring about people and bringing them together has profoundly impacted our lives. We all have special gifts unique to who we are – and how vital those gifts are, and often we will not even know their impact but that doesn’t matter.  We know when we have been touched by something that is genuine.”

Bill planted many seeds in the fields of the kingdom. He had to leave them to the soil of life and relationship for them to grow, and long after he was unable to lead, the seeds kept growing and bearing fruit. I have been one of many to be fortunate enough to share in the harvest.

A Prayer for Today

Jesus, you shared peace around a table of anxiety,
peace with the bread, peace with the wine,
peace in the face of the uncertain, peace in the place of pain.
May we share tables of peace in places of pain,
Sharing food and friendship and words and life.
Because you came to a fearful world
and found your place around those tables. Amen

(Padraig O Tuama, Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community)