The seed

By Eric Haselhorst

Director, Stewardship Office

The latest book I am reading has a quote in it by Freidrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900). Nietzsche believed more in “life-affirmation” versus Christianity, but the quote struck me: “Everyone thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed.”

If you have not noticed by my writing, I am a man of many metaphors. And this metaphor is a principal philosophy to what we are as Christians: seeds. God bestowed upon us an undying gift at our baptism: Salvation through him.

Through baptism, we have been called to discipleship. As disciples, we are stewards. This is the seed Nietzsche talks about. We have been given seeds of life to nourish in Christ to become closer to him. They have been sowed. It is our job to nourish them everyday. Water with prayer. Fertilize with love. Weed out the sin of our lives.

Any farmer will tell you the work begins when the crop is in the bin. They may take a few days off, but the planning for the next harvest begins when the combines have been blown off and the trucks are parked for winter.

Countless hours planning where the corn will go, which fields will be wheat. Numerous calls to seed dealers looking for the best hybrid to put in the ground.

Then the countless hours behind a windshield preparing the best possible environment for the precious seed.

But the work is not done; once the seed is planted there is insect control, weed control, gates to open, sprinklers to turn on, walks through the fields, weather to watch, top dress now or wait…. Everything a farmer can control is managed.

So we have seeds planted in hearts by the waters poured over us through baptism. God gave us freewill. Do we let weeds grow? Are the fields of our minds fertilized with good books, activities, friends and relationships? Are we cultivating the best possible environment for the gifts Jesus gave us?

I can tell you, I would be a modest farmer at best. But the beauty is, I get another season to get it right, just like you. Everyday is a new opportunity to kill the weeds of sin, to water with positive people, to fertilize with a new book or capitalize on a new opportunity. To answer God’s call to be one of his own. The fruit of our lives is the result, but we start as a seed.