Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him. "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:24-32 RSV)
A grain of wheat remains nothing but a single solitary grain if left to its own devices. But plant that grain in good soil, give it water and sunlight and nutrients and... it dies. It cracks, splits, bursts asunder and ceases to exist, as it is. It is changed. transformed, given new life as a sheaf of grain, reproducing itself untold times, so that it may feed the multitudes who hunger for its goodness and vitality. Maybe we should take lessons...
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