Planting

Today, at Institute, we sung the hymn We Are Sowing, which is reminiscent of a parable in which seeds are tossed out onto various types of soil. The hymn reminds us that just about all of our actions have consequences, whether we intend them or not. It reminded me of the need to be mindful of our actions and to do things deliberately. Too often, we do things without really thinking, and while I'm not saying that we should never do that, as I'm not sure it's possible to stay conscious of all our choices and their possible effects all the time, I am saying that we should more frequently deliberately do things that are good. Rather than simply tossing out actions at random and hoping that some of them land somewhere productive, we can plant the seeds of our actions and actively cultivate them and nourish their growth. The nourished seeds are the ones that flourish. If we want goodness to grow, it would be best to cultivate it deliberately.