“Planting Seeds” by slgckgc is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Power Like a Seed By: Rev. Sarah Speed
In a world that wants power like a machine gun, power like a bomber plane, power like a gated fence to keep the hungry out, I want power like a seed— power that will crack me open and grow something good; power like an open door, an invitation that says, “Come on in;” power that feels like a strong spine with a soft heart. I want the power to listen, to lean in, to ask follow-up questions. But more than anything, I want the power to bring us together, to lift you up. There are different kinds of power. One will build a wall. One will plant a garden. We should know by now, only one will bear fruit.
Have you ever looked into the eyes of another person and, in an instant, felt accepted, loved, and seen? No words. No gesture. They look past your appearance without a drop of judgment. They embrace you at a soul level just by looking into your eyes. Our son’s first and middle name is Jamie Lane. We hid an Easter egg in the pronunciation if you say it together. Elaine, Jessica’s grandma’s name, had this gift to look into the eyes of others and instantaneously encompass the stranger with belonging. I never met her, but I met her sister, Freda. Even though Freda struggled with her memory and who I was, her gaze moved me in a way I will never forget. There is power in compassion. There is power in meeting people where they are. There is power in grace that needs no credentials or proof of worthiness for one to belong. This power transforms us. It can transform the world.
Rev. Speed’s poem beautifully parallels world power and seed power. World power is a politics that will use cohesion and fear, forcing others to bend to their will. Seed power is a politics that uses care and compassion, allowing God’s will to flourish. She says, “We should know by now only one will bear fruit.”
On Good Friday, the Roman government appears to wield a power stronger than God’s. They silence Jesus’s prophetic and pastoral presence in the community. They replace hope and justice with grief and despair. Jesus fails to bring about the kin-dom of God. However, Rome failed to recognize that the cross was God’s most profound act of love. In this act of solidarity, God’s seed power was planted. Three days later, God has the final word, and that word is “life.”
Easter is about worshiping and praising a God whose power is stronger, more loving, and more resilient than World power. Seed power sows new life. Every interaction is a moment to plant a seed, allowing God’s love to come alive in us and another. Easter is more than just a season; it is a way of life that will bear fruit. As we continue our Lenten journey, tell the story of Jesus’ final week, and listen to women with news from the tomb, may everything we do, everything we say, even the way we look into the eyes of others bear witness that today Love has risen.
