There is a farmer
He has a farm - a great garden
From where all vegetables can grow
From where he feeds his family
From where he feeds his neighbors
Every morning, he wakes up,
Gets on his boots
Gets his watering can and trowel
Gets on his way to the garden
And he waters and tends
And he waters and tends
And he goes to bed and he wakes up
And he gets on his boots
and he picks up his watering can and trowel
and he makes his way to the garden
How the plants grow - he doesn't know
And in season, he harvests
And in season, he plants
Carefully, but audaciously, he sews the seeds
Some falls on the path, some on the rocks, some amongst the thorns
But some on the good soil
And he waters and tends
waters and tends
And he goes to be and he wakes up and he waters and tends
How the plant grows - he does not know
--
There is a magnolia tree
in my yard
It is from a time of renewal
When it was a sapling, just barely
A drunken fight broke out
Or some misguided kids were looking for trouble
Or an animal was lost and confused
Or the wind just blew hard
Then, the magnolia sapling
was broken too soon
to weak to bear the brunt
And with care, we trimmed and hoped
for our poor magnolia
--
There is a fig tree
In the farmer's grove
Producing fruit in season
Until it can not
Or its not ready
Or the soil has not been tended
But the gardener comes and says no, let me tend to it some more
--
There is a farmer
He tends his farm
The seeds he scattered have begun to grow
And he waters and tends and grabs his boots and watering can and trowel
There are some that have been trampled
Some that have grown too quickly and haven't taken root
Some that looked good, but he missed the weeds and they are being suffocated
It's so suffocating
The weeds
And he does what he can
And the weeds still come
And he does what he can - hoping the weeds will end
hoping for justice
hoping for renewal
--
And I look out my window and say
"Magnolia tree - you're still alive
Your roots have time
For now, weather the storm
For now, hold tight
For some time"
The Magnolia tree, cut too soon
Not ready for the weight
Merely a shrub
Hardly a tree
Yet, now, where will the birds go?
Yet, now, where will they nest?
--
There is a farmer
Who in season takes his favorite seed
This seed, it is buried and dies
This seed, so small
To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?
It is like this a small seed
That grows
and becomes a tree
and the birds of the air made nests in its branches
To what shall we compare the kingdom of God?
It like the smallest of all seeds
That grows
and is like a shrub becoming a tree
and the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches
There is shade and comfort and a home
And peace and mercy
--
There is a farmer
Who in season goes out for the harvest
And there is a plant from the tended soil
That has grown fruit - a hundred-fold
Some of the fruit he eats
Some of the fruit he shares
Some of the fruit he cultivates for seeds
And he picks the fruit
And he takes the seeds
And he stores them for the season
There is a farmer
Who in season gathers his seed from storage
to plant in the soil
Carefully, but audaciously, he sews the seeds
Some falls on the path along the way,
some on the rocky ground he hasn't turned,
some amongst places where thorns will grow
But some on the good soil
--
The is a Magnolia shrub
That has beared the winter
That has broadened its leaves
That waits patiently
While we water and tend, water and tend
And it follows us - the pattern, the rhythm
While the seasons go by - the loving, the hard
the joy, the pain
Seasons of good soil and seasons of salt and wind
Seasons of deep roots and seasons chopped down too soon
Seasons of tyranny and seasons of justice
A time to sleep and a time to eat
A time to plant and a time to harvest
A time to get up and a time to lie down
--
To what then shall we compare the Kingdom of God
It is like a seed, buried and dead
Reborn and alive
Tended and cared for
That grows - and grows wide and grows strong
And it is shade from the heat
a roost for a nest
strength to bear fruit
protection from the enemy
sanctuary for the oppressed
The birds of the air make their nests in its branches
The kingdom of God is like a farmer
Who plants and waters and tends
Who goes to bed and wakes up and puts on his boots
and grabs his watering can and trowel
He waters and tends
And how the plant grows, he doesnt know
But the branches grow
And the shrub becomes a forrest
And all who are weary can come and find rest
And all who are put out can come to make their home
And all who are cold can find warmth
And all who are hungry can come and eat
And there will be those who claim the shrub as their own
And there will be those who come to chop it down
And the weight of the world might be too much
And still the shrub will grow
And the roots will take
And the birds of the air will make nests in its branches
---
I look out to my magnolia tree
Will it be enough to bear the winter
Will its leaves still thrive as it repairs
Will it grow to a tree
My dear magnolia tree
Though the streets are full of fighting and unrest
Though there are those drunk with power and malice
Though the powers of the spirits of the air stir like a frigid winter storm
They will not overcome the light,
They will not overcome the mercy
They will not overcome the one who brings
the seed to sprout
the dead to life
the shrub to forrest
the shade to those who need rest
the peace to those who are separated
the justice to those oppressed
the love to all the birds of the air
And we will wake up
And put on our boots
And grab our watering can and trowel
And we will water and tend
And we will water and tend
And we will not know how the plant grows
And the birds of the air will make nests in its branches