Truly seeding season has arrived in Saskatchewan. Farmers and gardeners have already been busy scattering seeds in the fields and planting flowers in the gardens. It brings hope, the hope for a good harvest and the hope for a beautiful garden sometime in the near future. Sooner or later the seed that has been sown into the soil will sprout through the surface of the ground as a small bud and will eventually become a plant to bear fruit. Still, the process of transformation that a seed goes through to become a plant is mysterious. But it always makes people proud and joyous to watch over that mystery. That is one reason why farmers and gardeners are never bored with their work.
Although the whole process of plant growing is mysterious, the one clear thing is that the seed must die in order to become a plant. In other words, the seed has to discard its whole being to transform into a plant, a new being. Not only does it give up the shape of the seed but also all the elements of the seed have to be completely consumed in order to become a new plant and bear much fruit. On the journey of reproduction and regeneration of all living beings, passing the stage of transformation and transition of dying and birthing seems to be a mandatory requirement.
Jesus said this principle a long time ago, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). Dying does not mean the end or the finish line. Rather it means a new beginning and a new start in with reforming and reshaping. It is through the process of transformation and transition that improvement is achieved, with a more and bigger stage of living. Earlier a German theologian Jurgen Moltmann called this rebirth principle, dying for living in a new life, as Cruciform. He explained that the principle of the rebirth systems of all living beings can be found in the event of Jesus' crucifixion on the cross and resurrection from death.
The principle of Cruciform may need further theological interpretation, but it is fully understandable that unless a seed dies, it remains as a single seed, but if dies, it bears many more seeds through the mysterious and amazing transformational and transitional processes. This is not only the principle for farming and gardening but also it can apply in every area of our life situations such as family life, marriage and other human relationships. Sometimes living the Cruciform way may seem to be a losing game or to be disadvantageous in our life journey. But in a long term, it is always a winning and gaining game. There is no pain, there is no gain. Indeed Easter (resurrection, new life) always comes after Good Friday (crucifixion, death).
