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Weekly Prayer Cycle Epiphany 7

Preparing a bucket of corn seedlings in Germany. Photo: Greenpeace Marburg from Flickr

February 23, 2014

By Suzanne Rumsey

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Week of February 23 (Epiphany 7) 

Scripture:  Leviticus 19: 1-2, 9-10

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them:  You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.  When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. 

PWRDF Story ““ How I Suddenly Became a Corn Farmer by Pepe Elwert, PWRDF Intern, Fall 2013

Editor’s Note:  To mark World Food Day last October 16, PWRDF staff invited colleagues at Church House to a special worship service in the Chapel of the Holy Apostles.  During the service, those present were invited to plant a seed and tell a story about food in their lives.  Pepe Elwert, a German theology student interning with PWRDF, shared the following story of creative resistance from his homeland:  

“Just before I finished my high school in Germany, I wanted to become a corn farmer.  Actually everyone in my family became a small corn farmer and we had our “˜field’ close to where we lived ““ on our balcony to be precise.  We had seven strong corn plants growing in our field.  At that time a number of my classmates and friends also became corn farmers.  Stories were told, seeds were shared and signs were put up to invite more people to become part of this movement.  What was this all about? 

“Around 2005 the chemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto wanted to introduce its genetically engineered corn hybrid seed MON 810 in Germany.  The multinational company did massive lobbying and tried to gain more support all over Europe by underlining the huge advantages of its seeds for farmers and society in general.  By that time Monsanto was in control of approximately 80% of all genetically engineered seeds and patents.  Unfortunately for the farmers the MON 810 corn hybrid plants do not produce any seeds for future planting.  So farmers have to buy the seeds again year after year.  

“According to the Monsanto website, MON 810 enjoys “˜a robust safety assessment and a long history of safe cultivation and consumption.’  Thinking of centuries that farmers have been cultivating corn in my area, Monsanto seems to have quite a different perception of “˜long history’; actually long term effects on the environment are not known at all.  So lots of farmers, environmental activists and gardeners didn’t share the enthusiasm about Monsanto’s seeds being introduced in Germany.  In order to protect any “˜traditional’ corn farmer, the government ensured the right to:

  • getting information about genetically modified corn grown in the area, and
  • being secure from pollen flying from one field to another field of the same crop, especially if there were an intention to reuse the seeds for future planting. 

“A European non-profit organization called SOS (Save Our Seeds) launched a campaign called “˜Bantam!’  Golden Bantam is a traditional corn species, whose seeds have been grown for more than a hundred years and can be planted again.  As a sign of protest against Monsanto’s MON 180 seeds more than 100,000 people started to plant this old type of corn in their backyards, beneath their front porch, on their balcony or on the roof of their garages.  Thereby they declared it a “˜gentech-free’ zone.  They officially registered their corn “˜fields’ and were recognized as corn farmers if they had at least six plants.  Every corn farmer could request information from city council about possible pollination threats to their old corn type through any nearby fields that carried MON 180. To prevent MON 180 pollen from corrupting other fields there had to be a certain safety corridor without any corn farmers or traditional corn plants in it.  Soon the campaign became so popular that there were few spots left on the map for such corridors.  Finally the German government passed a national prohibition against MON 180. 

“There were a number of similar initiatives all over Europe and in 2013 Monsanto declared that they wanted to retreat from the European market because of “˜lacking acceptance among the general public.’ Sceptics doubt that Monsanto will stay away for long and point out the existence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) through imports, especially of animal food. But meanwhile, the campaign continues and people are enjoying their homegrown corn.” 

For Reflection: As the days slowly lengthen those who are gardeners or farmers begin to think about and prepare for planting.  Where do the seeds for your planting come from?  Are they seeds you have saved from last year’s harvest?  (If you are not a gardener or farmer, ask one you know who is.)  And how have you honoured the call from Leviticus to share with “the poor and the alien” that which you have planted and harvested, be it food or other resources.     

Concluding Prayer 

A Step Along the Way

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.  We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

This prayer was composed by Bishop Ken Untener of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.A., drafted for a homily by Card. John Dearden in Nov. 1979 for a celebration of departed priests. It has also become known as “the Romero Prayer”, attributed on occasion to martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.  

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