Many types of soil

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invites some consideration of how we deal with “how it is”. The Book of Exodus tells of the complaining of the Israelites in the desert who fear their survival after the strong arm and the mighty hand of God has delivered them from the Pharaoh. The psalmist proclaims the graciousness of God to these people as He rains meat and heavenly bread on them. Do the complainers always get their way? Is this how it is? Jesus tells the many gathered to hear Him of the kinds of listening environment or “soil” that His Word will find in each person. The “good soil” which will produce so much in terms of the deepened relationship with the graciousness, mercy, forgiveness and deep delight of the Divine Sower is within and it is not the place of “how it is”. It is the rich field of the God who shall be and the fruits from that area transcend “how it is” to infinity and eternity.