Time to Germinate
Written by Peter Batra on Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
“Be careful what you wish/pray for…it might come true.”
As I reflect on last Sunday’s Gospel reading and this week’s theme (grace), this popular idiom came to mind. The Gospel reading for this week contains the parable of the barren Fig tree as Jesus told it to the Galileans. To summarize, it’s about an orchard owner who instructed his gardener to cut down a fig tree that had produced no fruit since being planted three years before. The gardener replied that he would tend the soil for another year and if the tree still bore no fruit, then he could cut it down.
If God is the orchard owner and we are the gardeners, then to me this is a story of the balance between patience (time) and action. Waiting endlessly for something to just happen without some ‘action’ will most likely have no result. Imagine that perfect job or other opportunity that without action is unlikely to become reality. The reverse is also true, for with only concentrated action and little or no patience, we still may not achieve a desired result. Perhaps grace is the ingredient that nudges us to act boldly by fertilizing the soil or just hold our position and let the sun and rain do its job? Ideas have a way of germinating over time and there is at least one other parable that talks about being ready to act when opportunity presents itself–but that’s a topic for another blog.
I am also struck by the fact that unlike the Galilieans, we are surrounded by a world that demands instant results. Smartphones, email and a culture of instant gratification have facilitated the expectation of being always ‘on,’ blurring the lines of work, social/family and quiet time. Like the fig tree that hasn’t yet borne fruit, our ideas need time to germinate and are nurtured by reflecting on our lives, including the people we interact with, our goals and ambitions, and our spiritual beliefs.
Question for Reflection:
What do you wish/pray for?
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Peter Batra
Peter lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Adrienne and three school aged daughters, Madeleine, Lauren & Charlotte. He is a survey researcher at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.
Email: [email protected]