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Parables

Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2014

#1 A man went up to a farmer and said to him, “Farmer, I see that the seeds you have planted in your field have produced many good plants. May I plant my seeds here as well?” The farmer said to him, “I am sorry, but there is not enough space in my field for both of us to plant our seeds. However, there are few farmers in this area, and the land is vast. Why not choose another field and plant your seeds there?” The man said to him “I do not know if my seeds will grow there. Perhaps the soil is bad, or there are many vines and birds. But I know your soil is good. Please let me plant there.” The farmer replied, “I spent many years cultivating this soil. At first plants did not grow, but over time more and more plants grew as I continued to patiently work the soil. I understand that you are drawn towards the soil I have lovingly worked all these years, and that is good. But you must find your own field, and do likewise.”

 #2 A farmer went out looking for a place to plant his seeds. The farmer did not know where the good soil was, and because he had no shortage of seeds, he left his seed bag partially open as he walked so that some seeds occasionally spilled out. He did this whenever he left his house so that the seeds would go everywhere he went. After awhile, he started to notice plants growing in some of the places that he was regularly going. So he started carrying a large jug of water with him. Whenever he encountered one of these wayward plants, he would give it a little bit of water. He also tried to go more often in the direction of these growing plants, to give them more attention. Once he saw that a plant was healthy and good, he would try to grow more plants there, because he knew the soil was good. Plants grew all over the city, to the astonishment of the people. They thought that plants could not grow like this in an urban environment. To them any farmer who worked in the city was wasting their time. But plants grew anyway, and these plants found ways to thrive in an environment that is not very conducive to the growing of plants. Soon the people of the city became happy that the plants were there, and the city people and the plants were able to thrive together there. 

I don't believe I have ever written a parable before, but these just happened to come to mind, and so here we are. These two parables represent two different ways that I have seen ministry done in Berlin. The first one represents setting up a location specifically for the purpose of conducting ministry, such as a youth group, cafe, church, etc. As an example, someone I know has set up a cafe that is welcoming for all. The cafe is run by a Christian with the vision that the cafe could be a place where seeds of the Gospel could be sown through conversation and fellowship, but it is not by any means a Christian cafe. There are no crosses or Bible verses or anything like that, although there are positive messages and artwork on the walls. This is one way I have seen ministry in Berlin, creating a space and over time allowing the Gospel to take hold, without being off-putting. The second parable is just about living  your life in a way that serves as a witness to others. It means actively building relationships with the people around you, not just for the purposes of evangelism but also just to get to know people and to engage with the city. I am sure many of you know the famous St. Francis of Assisi quote "Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words (Francis of Assisi may not have actually been the one who said this, the origin of the quote is disputed)." In Berlin it is necessary to use words, because many people do not know any active Christians and don't really know what one should look like. This does not mean that you always use words, and it certainly does not mean that you are quick to use words. It means that you are authentic to who you are, and you use words when you feel or the Lord is telling you the time is right. But getting to know people is a good all on its own, both for the other person and for yourself. Because duh, it is good to have friends. 

Those are just some of my thoughts of late, processings if you will. I am the farthest thing from an expert on how to engage people with the Gospel in Berlin. But we will see where the journey of authenticity takes me. 

-Robby

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