My first appointment as an ordained minister was to a parish in Hastings. Hastings sits in an area called Hawkes Bay. Hawkes Bay is known as the fruit bowl of New Zealand.
Rich deposits of alluvial loam and silt left by river systems (such as the Ngaruroro and Tukituki rivers) provide deep, nutrient-dense topsoils ideal for farming and orchards.
And such topsoils are great for the garden.
In those days, I was young and fit and began a veggie garden, so off to the garden centre to purchase some seeds and some advice.
Growing vegetables from seed is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to grow a garden. Many vegetables grow quickly when seeds are sown directly in the soil, making them perfect for beginner gardeners like myself.
Armed with packets of lettuce, carrot, green beans and radish, I returned to my newly turned patch of soil.
Memories of assisting my father came flooding back to me – a small peg at either end of the row, a piece of string attached. This will ensure a ‘reasonably’ straight line. Then with the flat side of the rake form a groove in the soil. Into the groove place the seeds. Cover the seeds with soil.
Then, with regular watering – guess what – the seeds grow!
There is that moment, somewhat akin to Michelangelo’s study of the Creator and Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel of St Peter’s Rome, when Creation is real. Little green sprouts appear.
There is the realisation that the seeds have been planted not to remain hidden, rather to grow!
Our Gospel this Sunday tells the story of the servant who takes the talent, given to him by his master, and hides it in the ground.
Silly fellow, surely there was someone wise enough to tell him that the ground is for growing!