Last week, we celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In two very different accounts, we hear about the paraclete, the advocate that Jesus promises to send. In the gospel of John, the disciples experience the promise of the Holy Spirit as a balm in the midst of sadness and trepidation, having been told by Jesus that he is about to die in a violent and horrible way. In Acts, the promise of the Holy Spirit feels quite different. We experience the disciples emboldened to bring Jesus’s message of grace and reconciliation to many nations of the ancient Mediterranean world. They are no longer behind locked doors, but out in public life accompanied by the promised advocate, the Holy Spirit, which comes with the sound of a rushing wind and rests on them like tongues of fire.
Today, we return to the liminal space of John’s gospel in those final, precious moments that Jesus has with his friends before his betrayal and crucifixion. In hopes of comforting his friends, Jesus uses these moments to describe how he is fully present in the Holy Spirit, this advocate that he will send to be with them, even though they will not see him. As we heard today, what the Father has becomes the son’s, and the spirit receives what is the son’s and declares it. This network of giving and receiving, of pouring out and being filled, reflects the very life of God. The good news for us this Holy Trinity Sunday is that interdependence is a holy reality. We also receive the call not only to observe but to participate in this active exchange within Godself.
In reflecting further on what holy interdependence means for us and for all of creation, I want to share with you an experience I had that deepened my understanding of God’s presence in our world. In my job, I have the joy of working with several groups that work on many different (but related) issues. One of those groups is the St. Paul Area Synod Care of Creation Work Group. They work through advocacy and educational opportunities for systemic solutions to the crisis of our rapidly warming planet. One of the areas that they are focused on this year is regenerative agriculture. “Regenerative Agriculture” is a bit of a fuzzy term, and so to learn more about regenerative farming practices, they reached out to local farmers George and Annalise Walker, who graciously invited us to their farm in Princeton, Minnesota. We visited the Walker Farm on a beautiful October Saturday.
As George and Annalise welcomed us, we started talking about what regenerative practices are. One of the major practices that they highlighted for us is no tillage. The reason for this is that tilling disrupts the microbial ecology of the soil, notably fungi. It is here, at this miniscule level, that countless relationships are at play and organisms bring life to each other. Fungi are basically natural recycling bins. Crops produce sugar, then fungi absorb that sugar and release soil nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and water back to the roots of the plant. What I find most amazing is that the strength of fungi comes from the fact that they are multi-celled organisms. Unlike bacteria, their single-celled counterparts, they can transfer nutrients feet or meters long, and through gaps in the soil. It’s this interconnectedness between cells and organisms and between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that provides nutrients (our daily bread, if you will), bridges gaps that would be impossible to do alone, and generates new life.
This blessed interdependence that is so foundational for healthy soil also takes a lot of work. As the Walkers shared with us, one of the major barriers to farmers who are looking into these regenerative practices is the steep upfront investment. Cover crops, another major component of regenerative agriculture, are a perfect example. Cover crops transform the soil by increasing biodiversity, promoting water retention, and preventing erosion, but the cost for seeds is high and it takes about five years for the benefits to take effect. In the life of the church, we might think about this steep upfront investment in terms of relationships. We need to put a lot on the line in building, trusting, and growing relationships to support a healthy church, and the transformation may take several years to show itself.
I was also struck by the Walkers' initiative and creativity in innovation. One problem that they encountered was: If you want turkeys to graze in the field and therefore don’t keep them in a barn, how do you keep them from getting lost? The farmer George and his brother Andy invented a lightweight frame that keeps the turkeys within a certain area, but can easily be moved by a tractor to bring them to a fresh spot every day. It’s at this point where I saw the importance of grace. Since George had been so generous in talking with us that morning, he was a few hours later than usual in moving the turkeys to a new spot. They were not happy. Similarly, we are going to need to do the work of new structures and new ideas to support a healthier church. There will be days when we’re late and the turkeys aren’t happy. As long as the turkeys get fed, it’s ok if we get delayed sometimes.
In all of the promise and pouring out that comes with the holy work of interdependence, we also witness the promise of resurrection. As we were going over to see the cows, George found a plant near the grazing area and shouted out with excitement, telling us that it was the first time he had seen the plant on the farm. In many classifications, this plant would be considered a weed. But not to the Walkers. The plant is a native plant, and as they work to regenerate the soil through those microbial relationships, the native plants start to return. Plants that haven’t been seen in years or even decades suddenly start to pop up.
I want to leave you today with the question of what healing and restoration we will see as we participate in the active, interdependent exchange at the very heart of God’s being. What will we find and shout out with excitement like the farmer George did as we are called into new relationship with God, our neighbors, and all of creation? Reconciliation? Joy? Peace? Justice? Compassion? May we engage in this work as the spirit continues to guide us into all the truth.
Rachel Wyffels
Luther Seminary Student
St. Paul, MN
Rachel Wyffels is in her first year of her Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary. She is also the EcoFaith Network Communication Coordinator for the EcoFaith Network NE-MN and Saint Paul Area Care of Creation. Rachel previously worked as a Hunger Advocacy Fellow with ELCA Advocacy, where she worked on legislative advocacy for hunger, housing, and climate justice. She is a graduate of St. Olaf College, and she enjoys playing violin, knitting, and spending time with her dog in her free time.