Seeds of Hope
An Earth Day sermon by Polly Peterson
“Seeds carry the power of life,” wrote Carme Lemniscates to begin the story of seeds we just heard. It’s a powerful idea. In fact, it’s the idea that inspired this service. Last fall, I was in a car with Susan Rice, returning from a few days of canvassing in Pennsylvania with a group called “Seed the Vote.” Susan began to speak excitedly about how amazing seeds are, with their ability to hold all that is needed for becoming vegetables, fruits, flowers, or trees—everything that the whole organism needs to grow—all in that one tiny seed.
The moment was brief, but it stayed with me. It is such a special thing to be amazed and delighted by an everyday miracle. Seeds make Susan smile with delight, and starting seeds for her large garden is an exciting prospect for her each spring. A seed is a vision of possibility.
Most of us give little thought to the astonishing power of seeds. But even if seeds don’t inspire awe in you or make you smile with delight, you are probably aware that without them there would be no food. Seeds grow into plants that have a power we animals lack. They can convert the sun’s energy into food through the miracle of photosynthesis. A plant uses the sun’s energy to produce roots and stems, leaves, and the seeds that will become new plants. Each seed, no matter how small, contains both nutrients to feed a tiny beginning plant as it sprouts and the DNA that will tell it how to grow.
We cultivate seeds in our farms and gardens by planting them in fertile ground and making sure they have adequate sunlight and water. And they give us a tremendous return on our investment by growing into plants that provide food and flowers and so much more. We take care of seeds, and they take care of us. The relationship is a model of reciprocity—which, at its core, is what Earth Day is all about.
Earth Day was established when people began to realize that human activity was gravely harming our unique and irreplaceable planet. We know that we must give the Earth loving care, for we depend upon a healthy, living ecosystem for all of our needs.
Of course, not everybody thinks that way. Americans especially have become accustomed to seeing the world in terms of what they can take, not what they can share.
As Robin Wall Kimmerer has pointed out, commodifying nature’s gifts is a fundamental aspect of a market economy. One result of the obsessive focus on profit has been a loss of biodiversity in our agricultural sector as corporations have patented seeds and sold them widely. Patented seeds give farmers some benefits—but at the expense of biodiversity and the freedom to save and share those seeds.
Susan Rice is a seed saver, as I imagine some others of you are, too. When you grow plants from non-patented seeds, you can save seeds from some of your favorites and plant them again next year. You can share them with your friends and neighbors. In recent decades, the idea of seed libraries has caught on to facilitate the free sharing of garden seeds. Seed libraries and exchanges are springing up everywhere.
Here in Amherst there is an especially delightful little seed library called the Mass Aggie Seed Library housed in the Science & Engineering Library at UMass. It offers lots of information and instruction, some playful activities for adults and children, and a big old-fashioned card catalog with packets of donated seeds for the taking in every drawer. It even has a program called the “common seed” inspired the “common read” programs in our local libraries. The program builds community through gardening and seed sharing. This year’s common seed is the ‘Provider’ Bean—which they say is perfect for gardeners of all levels. You can go pick up a packet if you wish. Seed sharing not only cultivates community, it is also an excellent way to cultivate biodiversity, with an emphasis on what grows well in your area’s particular soil and climate conditions.
So, yes, it’s springtime, a good time to think about cultivating our gardens. And, more than that, it’s an important time to cultivate community. Dark times have been thrust upon us suddenly, capriciously, cruelly, and none of us should try to face the challenges of this chaotic and dangerous time alone. We fear for ourselves and our loved ones, we fear for our children’s futures. We fear for the hungry and sick of this world, for the inadequacy of water and food in many places, for the return of epidemics, for our failure to stop the degradation of the environment. We feel the sting of our current leaders’ disdain for people of principle and for people whose gifts are intellectual or artistic. We see their intent to muzzle the free press. We see how they want to divide us and to make scapegoats of women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color, especially those in leadership positions. If you are like me, you are feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the current crisis—which is why we need to cultivate community now more than ever. Many things are beyond our control, but each of us needs to do what we can where we are with what we have.
The first thing to do is to tend to the seeds within. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that our mind is like a piece of land planted with many different kinds of seeds: seeds of joy, peace, mindfulness, understanding, and love; seeds of craving, anger, fear, hate, and revenge.
“Though we all have the fear and the seeds of anger within us, we must learn not to water those seeds and instead nourish our positive qualities – those of compassion, understanding, and loving kindness.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
As I was naming things that we all might be fearing, did it stir up feelings inside you? Did your breath feel tighter as if entangled in a dense patch of briars and weeds? Seeds of hate, anger and fear grow as thorns and brambles. They affect our bodies as well as our minds. These thoughts invade us, but they will not nourish us. Best to uproot them and plant new seeds.
If your email feed looks anything like mine, it’s easy to focus too much on fear and anger and frustration. Let’s make it a habit to shift the focus more often to soul-strengthening thoughts of loving kindness, generosity, and joy. We already have many such seeds inside us—we just need to cultivate and nourish them. Re-reading a favorite poem or quote, listening to music, dancing, making art, playing an instrument or singing—these are all time-tested tools for cultivating the inner garden. When we let our thoughts dwell on what we love rather than what we fear, on what we are grateful for rather than what makes us mad, the inner garden grows greener. It can help us find the fresh energy we need to make a difference.
This spring, as we cultivate seeds in our home gardens and support our local farms, let’s remember also to plant and water the seeds of joy, playfulness, and generosity. It’s so easy to get stuck in the briar patch of fear. Thich Nhat Hanh has given us an excellent strategy for finding our way out.
How are you preparing the soil of your mind for the future you hope to cultivate? What seeds are you planting there? The seeds you nurture within are powerful. Every action you take to make the world feel healthier, more just, and kinder is important, however small it may seem. Many small actions can add up to big changes. Your acts of kindness and your courage can fill others with hope. Together we can find a way.
Our lives and our destinies are entwined, not just with each other, but with all living things.
Outside, on this early spring morning, we are greeted by green shoots and buds, bright red maple blossoms, greening grass, crocus flowers and daffodils.
May the rebirth of life all around you—the bursting forth of green growth and blossoms and the germination of seeds—plant hope in the rich soil of your being. And may we find strength in community as we strive together for a better tomorrow.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
