The random thoughts of a Christian parrot
Lots of interesting and tasty things get brought in from the garden at this time of year. My owner’s been very busy digging up potatoes, picking tomatoes and peppers, (not to mention a wicked supply of chillies which are just for me!)
And then there’s also that wonderful smell of his onions which are currently drying out on the table next to me. He’s grown some real whoppers this year, weighing almost 3lbs (1.37kg). And I have to confess that I love to eat them raw. Parrots never worry about what their beaks smell of!
It really is a lovely time of year, and hopefully, the Autumn Harvest means that there’s a bountiful supply of tasty food to keep us all fed throughout the Winter months. But of course, the word “harvest” doesn’t always refer to a physical food supply. Because throughout the Gospels, Jesus often refers to a “Spiritual Harvest.” And that type of harvest can occur at any time of the year. If humans spent as much time trying to get to know God, and living a Christian existence, as they do tending and caring for their crops and vegetables, then they would also become part of a “Spiritual Harvest.”
In Luke chapter 3, verses 16-17, John the Baptist describes how Jesus will baptize humanity with the Holy Spirit, and then, with “….his winnowing fork in his hand”, Jesus will “…gather the wheat into his barn.” And this sets the pattern for many harvest references in the Gospels. For example, in Matthew 9:37, Jesus tells his disciples that: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” And in John, chapter 4, verse 35, Jesus says to his disciples: “….open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”
There is so much potential amongst all humanity to become a part of a great spiritual harvest. To come to know God. To feel the Holy Spirit inside. To live out lives here on Earth according to the true Christian faith. To become a part of a spiritual family. And to secure a place in Heaven. Humans just need to take the plunge and give it a try. Because if they do, their everyday mundane existence suddenly becomes so much more meaningful. And everyone can discover an inner joy that they never thought existed.
So Harvest Time is truly a time for rejoicing. Whatever type of harvest it might be. Food-a-plenty to physically sustain us here on Earth. Or ourselves as part of a much greater harvest that will ultimately lead us into Heaven.
See the potential; feel the joy; and REJOICE!
