Dr. Guy Brewer
D. Min, Ph. D
Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology
Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry
Francis and Elaine sent me home from Spring Forest farm with a cabbage the size of a basketball. You won’t find a head of cabbage like this at the local grocery store. The giant commercial farms that supply grocery stores focus a lot more on making a profit than producing prize winning vegetables.
How do we produce excellent fruit? By paying attention to the condition of the soil. Consider Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed. “Other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13: 8). On the other hand, much of the soil produced nothing.
As I think about Jesus’ parable, I realize that much of the soil of my soul is not fertile. I have my own weed patches and hard, rocky places. And yet, communities like Spring Forest remind me that there is also some good soil in my life. In the strength of this sacred community, I find renewed strength, hope, and love. They help me clear a little more ground in my soul where God can plant new seeds. I can’t wait to see what might grow!