SEEDS, PLANTS and SOULS

24 SLEEPING AND WAKING

We have, in this look at parables,
followed the life cycle of the plant,
starting at germination and ending
when the seed is produced again.

We have yet
to look at one of the most fascinating aspects of seeds.
The fact that they can remain dormant
for weeks, months, years - even centuries,
and still germinate at the end of it all.

When we want to store seeds,
we find that there are basically two types.
Some seeds must be kept dry and as cold as possible,
and if air can be excluded - all the better.
Others, however, must be kept moist, not too cool,
and with plenty of circulating air.
Both get on best in the dark.

As you might expect,
the dry sort will store for a year or more
- whereas the moist type only
put up with a few days, weeks or months
before either dieing or germinating.
These types often mirror the climate
where the parent plants are naturally found
- the dry ones found
where seeds fall during a dry season,
and the moist ones
where the climate is pretty humid all year round.

Both types store best
if the conditions of
air, temperature, moisture and darkness
are kept as uniform as possible.
This is because seeds are remarkably sensitive
to changes in their environment,
as these are their cues for the best time to germinate.
No change and they slumber on oblivious.

Consider a pasture.
Deep in the soil you will find myriads of seeds
that are asleep,
and want to remain that way
because they could never sprout up to the surface.
Since they are well insulated
from the fleeting effects of sun and rain,
no wake-up call sounds.
But once the pasture is ploughed up
and the seeds are brought to the surface,
the alarm goes off,
triggered by changes in temperature and moisture,
and the seeds promptly germinate.

However,
not all seeds germinate when they get warm and wet.
They need other cues to set the alarm off.
Some need to be frozen first,
letting them know winter has past.
Others may need to be eaten
and softened up in some animal's stomach.
Yet others may need to be exposed
to the right sort of light.
And some may do nothing until rain comes
after being roasted in the sun.

Nurserymen have invented a variety of ways
in which to make dormant seeds germinate.
They cannot wait
for the natural climatic keys to open the seed.
Some of their techniques sound fit to kill the seed
once and for all,
so drastic are they.

Certain legume seeds respond well
to being thrown into boiling water.
For others that is not enough
and they need immersing in sulphuric acid
to soften their seed coats.
One technique we applied with great success in Honduras
 used a red hot wire to make a hole in the seed coat.

To imitate temperature changes,
some seed germinate promptly after a period in an oven,
whereas others may need time in a deep- freeze.

Spiritual seed behave in a similar way, I think.
How many seeds may have not have germinated
because of the monotony of traditional liturgies
where everything is done to avoid change?
Traditions may be good
for those who have already germinated,
but for those who have not?
Something different may be needed.

How many people
have forgotten about the seed planted in them
because of material success?
No real hardships have come their way
which they have not been able to overcome
by their own efforts.
As a result,
they get the idea they are in control of everything.

I cannot help but be impressed
by the number of people
who have come to believe in God
only after a traumatic experience.
They have tried everything in life to solve their problems,
and only when they have nowhere to turn,
in their desperation they finally give God a chance.
And God happily takes it.

That is not a sign of human weakness,
but just demonstrates the fact that
only when man gives up trying to work out things
solely by himself
- which even if superficially successful
is never spiritually sustainable -
then God can work in that person's life.
The seed coat is broken down
and God's Spirit can get to work.

Perhaps one could liken Jesus' crucifixion
to the ultimate form of treatment
to break spiritual dormancy.
As we have seen,
Jesus was referred to as the Seed that was to come,
and it was only through being totally broken, crushed,
that this particular seed could spring into life.

It wasn't as if Jesus the Seed needed the treatment,
but that the treatment meted out to him
is now available
and substitutes for whatever treatment
our own spiritual seeds need.

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