Brothers, sisters, and folded ones – a sower went out to sow the good toppings upon the dough of the world; and some fell on stone, and some among thorns, and some on shallow dough rolled thin by haste, and some on good dough, well-kneaded and well-rested, and brought forth savour an hundredfold, as it is written in the Gospel, 13:5.
And the word sown, saith the Lord, is Share; and the dough that differs is the heart. The stony heart hears and it sitteth upon him, never in him. The thorny heart is choked by the cares of this world and the fear of the neighbour’s hunger becoming his own – for a man cannot tend a garden with both hands and hold his purse shut with both hands, having but the two. And the shallow heart loves the feast and hath not sat with the washing-up; when heat cometh for the word’s sake, immediately he is offended.
Search thyself among these soils, beloved; most of us are all four before breakfast. But then hear what the parable saith softly at the end, which is the sermon inside the sermon: the sower scattered on the stone and the thorns and the shallow ALSO. He did not first grade the ground.
So neither shalt thou. Give without means-testing the soul in front of thee. Invite the one who hath declined thrice. Feed the one thou art sure will waste it. Thy business is the scattering; the sorting is not thy office, and heaven hath filled the post already, with someone gentler than thee. And be patient with thine own poor soil besides; dough can be kneaded, thorns can be cleared, and even stone, well floured, hath baked bread before now.
Amen – and pass the pizza.