Seeds and crosses

Jesus gives two sharply different pictures - being lifted up on the cross and a seed falling into the ground as pictures of dying in today's Gospel.

The first is a violent image of invasion of a person, forcible removal from existance, being taken to, removed, exiled and killed. The second a more benign death, hidden from view in the soil - hidden from view and a death which produces new life - the seed is fountain of life, something which is waiting to spring forth.

Yet somehow they are both part of Christ's journey - the hidden, mystical death to self which we all have to live through, those daily deaths to the world and physical temptations so that we can bear fruit - our Lord knew those. He knew what it was to be the seed, laying, waiting in the ground for that first spring sunshine to warm the soil and bring forth new life.

He knew the changes that new life bring and the challenges and that is something we are all called to. But He, especially, knew his road would go further, to a hill outside Jerusalem - beyond that secret place with God to a public and bloody proclamation of Messiah. To an acclamation of salvation and a heralding of a new age, a new covenant.

There was no seperating the hidden place of dying from the public act of dying - this is worth pondering as we approach Holy Week - big thought for Sunday.....