By: Rev. Jim Keat
All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.
God
Is Change.
Lately, I’ve been rereading Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, a dystopian novel published in the early 90s and set in the year 2025. Butler wrote this novel during a time of racial tension, economic instability, rising environmental awareness, and gun violence, drug epidemics, and a fraying social safety net. (Hmmm, does any of that sound familiar?) The novel spans the years 2024-2027, offering a unique glimpse into how this prophetic author anticipated the time we find ourselves in today. And shockingly, she wasn’t too far off.
But more than just offering a book review, I find myself thinking about the themes of this story, specifically “change.” The world continues to change. The church continues to change. Our families and our relationships and our bodies continue to change. As Butler says, “The only lasting truth is Change.”
What does it mean to be present in an ever-changing world, especially when those changes often feel out of our control?
The title of the book, Parable of the Sower, has me thinking about planting seeds. Planting seeds is all about change, though not just the chance of the seed to a flower or plant. When you plant a seed, it changes the soil around it. It changes the ecosystem it inhabits. It’s not just that the seed changes into something new, but that everything changes as a result.
It can feel intimidating to when I am just a single seed in a world overgrown with weeds of injustice. Genocide, political tension, government shutdown, endless conflict, the rise of Christian Nationalism, the impending threat of Civil War as National Guard are directed towards the cities they are supposed to protect — there are thorns and thistles everywhere. And yet we are still called to plant a seed, one by one, seemingly insignificant on their own, but together growing into something that can change the soil, the environment, everything.
Recently, my wife and I planted grass seed around our yard. We’re not reseeding the whole yard but just spot-checking a few areas where the grass wasn’t faring so well. We had to rake up the old grass. Spread the seeds. Cover it with straw. Drag the hose around to water it morning and night. Again and again. Day after day. Week after week. Until finally I saw a few small shoots of grass springing up.
It wasn’t until we went away for a week, praying that rain would take over my morning and evening water responsibilities, and came home to find lush sections of green grass. Because this is how change works, it doesn’t seem to be happening at all. And then you look back and realize everything has changed.
Just as a single seed can transform soil, just as patches of grass can grow into a whole lawn, so too can our small acts transform the world. This is the work we are called to do… and this is what Convergence exists to nurture. Whether it’s coaching or consulting or signing up for our upcoming free Online Summit, we are committed to planting seeds, even when they seem insignificant. We are committed to dragging those hoses and watering the yard. We are committed to being a part of the change that our world so desperately needs.
If you are looking to identify specific and actionable ways that your congregation can lean into planting seeds in your context, please reach out to us. There is a significant benefit in having a partner who can help you evaluate what will grow based on the kind of soil you are bringing to the change yard. We have a team poised to jump in. Contact us when you are ready to plant.