5 years ago my friend Dave planted a tree outside his house.
It lasted about 18 months before it lost its needles and turned brown. He replaced it with another, that one died too.
So Dave called in a soil specialist who determined that the dirt around the tree was not healthy. Dave had to call in a topsoil company, dig a big hole in his yard, and put down some healthy soil. That did the trick, third time was a charm, and the tree is doing great
So what was wrong with the dirt?
Experts will tell us that one of the main components of healthy soil is something called hummus. It's what we get from our compost piles, which is essentially decomposed animal and plant tissue. In other words for soil to bring forth life, something has to die.
As the world awakens to the deeper meanings of liberty, justice, and equality especially around racial issues, we are finding that bringing forth health and life means putting things to death. It mean putting away habits, traditions, and deeply rooted ways of moving in the world.
We cultivate good soil when we are not afraid to let things die - when we realize that God is at work in the world constantly looking to bring about healing, health, and reconciliation. And we become God's agents as we put to death the things that need to die - to make way for the things Christ is bringing to life.
For me, it’s reading more about racial justice, joining a team of allies at church to move the ball forward, initiating conversations and listening more to my friends of color. How about you?
This Sunday we will hear Jesus tell us about the importance of good soil as we ask: What does this look like in our lives? What are the habits, traditions, and beliefs that need to die so that life can come forth?
How are we doing the work of cultivating good soil?
