Site search
sponsored by
News
At some point in time, we’ve all heard the verse. Whether it was in church or perhaps someone’s wedding, Ecclesiastes 3:8 is probably one of the most popular Bible verses. And for good reason. It speaks to the cycles of life and the trials and tribulations that come with that. For thousands of years Ecclesiastes' beautiful words have inspired and given solace to people all over the world.
However, it was Pete Seeger who made the words part of pop culture with his song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" which the group The Byrds turned into rock-n-roll gold when they released the single in October 1965. Whether you were coming of age in the 60s or not, most still know the words which were set to a large portion of this scripture with the exception of the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late."
The song and verse seem particularly poignant this time of year as family and friends gather around the table to celebrate the harvest with good food and drink. The theme of sowing and reaping is a perfect analogy of life. The things that are happening to us now, are the harvest of thoughts and actions sown in the past. And that can be a pretty hard reality to look at when you consider the current state of affairs which is constantly thrown in our face during the evening news or long lines at the local community meal program. How did we get here? Can we really be reaping what we’ve sown?
And while the bigger picture seems daunting, perhaps it’s the smaller one that holds the solutions. It is our present thoughts and actions that are the seeds being sown for a future harvest. It is hard to be convinced that today's actions have the potential to affect our future enormously; but they do.
Most farmers will admit that while the process of planting the seeds may be labor intensive, it’s the time between planting and harvest that takes the most dedication. It’s the perfect combination of water and sunlight, pruning and nutrients that give us the plump pumpkins for pies, or perfect spuds for mashing.
The same holds true for character development. For example, the decision to stay within your budget during the holidays can be easy made while sitting around the Thanksgiving table, however it’s the trip to the stores displaying all their gay apparel that finds one reaping greed's harvest often resulting in an overdrawn bank account come the new year. After all, you will reap what you sow. Even the farmer will tell you that no seed can produce anything but its own kind. In other words, if you plant a tomato seed, you will not harvest a green bean.
What are you sowing today, that someone else will reap in days to come? Seeds of digression in the form of gossip can bear the most bitter fruit of all. Its harvest can last for months, even years. Something to think about as family and friends gather around the table to break bread. It’s better to remain silent than to contribute to the poisonous plant. Think of it as weeding the garden of stinking thinking. And yes, as with all good weeding, you might have to suffer through a few blisters, but keep your eye on the peace of mind harvest.
A bountiful harvest takes time, we didn’t get into this bad batch predicament overnight and it will take a period of turn, turn, turning of the soil to bring us back to the reaping season. So be patient. Harvest will come in its own due season. In the meantime, take a look around and give thanks and praise for what you have today.
Kathy Bedell writes a weekly column for The Leadville Chronicle. She may be reached at grpkin@hotmail.com.
However, it was Pete Seeger who made the words part of pop culture with his song "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" which the group The Byrds turned into rock-n-roll gold when they released the single in October 1965. Whether you were coming of age in the 60s or not, most still know the words which were set to a large portion of this scripture with the exception of the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late."
The song and verse seem particularly poignant this time of year as family and friends gather around the table to celebrate the harvest with good food and drink. The theme of sowing and reaping is a perfect analogy of life. The things that are happening to us now, are the harvest of thoughts and actions sown in the past. And that can be a pretty hard reality to look at when you consider the current state of affairs which is constantly thrown in our face during the evening news or long lines at the local community meal program. How did we get here? Can we really be reaping what we’ve sown?
And while the bigger picture seems daunting, perhaps it’s the smaller one that holds the solutions. It is our present thoughts and actions that are the seeds being sown for a future harvest. It is hard to be convinced that today's actions have the potential to affect our future enormously; but they do.
Most farmers will admit that while the process of planting the seeds may be labor intensive, it’s the time between planting and harvest that takes the most dedication. It’s the perfect combination of water and sunlight, pruning and nutrients that give us the plump pumpkins for pies, or perfect spuds for mashing.
The same holds true for character development. For example, the decision to stay within your budget during the holidays can be easy made while sitting around the Thanksgiving table, however it’s the trip to the stores displaying all their gay apparel that finds one reaping greed's harvest often resulting in an overdrawn bank account come the new year. After all, you will reap what you sow. Even the farmer will tell you that no seed can produce anything but its own kind. In other words, if you plant a tomato seed, you will not harvest a green bean.
What are you sowing today, that someone else will reap in days to come? Seeds of digression in the form of gossip can bear the most bitter fruit of all. Its harvest can last for months, even years. Something to think about as family and friends gather around the table to break bread. It’s better to remain silent than to contribute to the poisonous plant. Think of it as weeding the garden of stinking thinking. And yes, as with all good weeding, you might have to suffer through a few blisters, but keep your eye on the peace of mind harvest.
A bountiful harvest takes time, we didn’t get into this bad batch predicament overnight and it will take a period of turn, turn, turning of the soil to bring us back to the reaping season. So be patient. Harvest will come in its own due season. In the meantime, take a look around and give thanks and praise for what you have today.
Kathy Bedell writes a weekly column for The Leadville Chronicle. She may be reached at grpkin@hotmail.com.
