Farming Our Faith

FARMING OUR FAITH

By: Atty. Numeriano P. Galgo, Jr.

October 22, 2023

Tagum City, Philippines

attyborgegalgo@gmail.com

Part I.

A. Greetings

B. Overview of the message

This morning’s message concerns farming or gardening and the lessons we can apply to increase our faith in God. Many people perceive farming as a lowly, backbreaking, and dirty work. But I am amazed because this humble and laborious job imparts valuable insights to help us cultivate a deeper trust in the Lord. Farmers till and plant, yet everything is beyond their control. There is no assurance of a bountiful harvest. They confidently choose to believe that everything will be alright. Several Bible verses encourage us to follow the ways of a farmer who patiently waits for the land to yield its fruits. Faith also takes time to develop, and we should be patient in the process.

Our main verse is found in James 5:7-8 which says:

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

C. Prayer

Part II. Introduction

Who are the farmers here? Who belongs to a family of farmers? Or who has a garden among you? I grew up on the farm. My grandparents were pioneer farmers in Agusan del Sur. The farm that I grew up on was far from the town center. At the time, there was no electricity and no decent road. It was planted with coconuts, bananas, corn, fruit trees, and vegetables. We had some chickens, pigs, and ducks. We used gas lamps. We got our water from the spring nearby. We had to gather firewood regularly. The only entertainment we had was a battery-operated transistor radio. We had no television. There was no cell phone back then. We gathered around the radio at night to listen to horror stories. Because of that, I feared the aswang and other mythical creatures lurking in the dark.

I learned to climb the coconut tree, husk the coconut, and ride the carabao. The school was far away. Sometimes, I had to walk ten kilometers back and forth when my parents had no money, or the chickens did not lay eggs. We practically stole the eggs from the hens and sold them for a fare. I felt so far away from civilization. My food was wrapped in banana leaves! My uniform was smoothed using charcoal iron! I was never picky with food. Dried fish, canned goods, noodles, odong, vegetables, ginamos, fried frog, you name it. I can easily adjust because of where I came from.

I knew how to plant corn, bananas, fruit trees, and vegetables. My grandmother would sell some of the harvest, and we ate the rest. I learned how to till the land using the carabao. I was exposed to the sun for hours and smelled like the carabao. Indeed, it was a laborious process. It was an endless cycle — you prepare the soil, plant, fertilize, pull the weeds, harvest, and prepare the ground again for the succeeding cropping. Without patience and endurance, you would give up easily. Like in our verse, the farmer waits for the land to yield. In the Bible it reads, “seedtime and harvest.” It’s easy to read. But in reality, it’s seedti——————me and harvest. It could take a long time to reap what was sown. Waiting does not mean sitting down or sleeping until harvest time. Farmers actively wait. After planting, the farmer would fertilize, spray insecticides, remove the weeds, water the crops, and check the condition of the crop every morning. The price of the goods could go up and down without warning. So, farming is quite discouraging at times. No wonder many farmers have sold their lands or encouraged their children to find greener pastures, to find employment somewhere. The same is true with our faith. When we are tested, we give up believing in God or stop going to church.

Despite the challenges, I could say those were the best days of my childhood. Life was simple, and I had fun playing with my friends in the mud or river. Pinoy games like patentero, shatum, jolin, and takyan were enjoyable. I smile whenever I recall my adventures and mischiefs back then.

A. Farmer

What’s with the farmer? When it comes to the development of our faith, the Bible used the farmer as an example. He did not use a carpenter, pastor, priest, mountain climber, skydiver, or a nation leader. In the scriptures, God is portrayed as a farmer because he planted the Garden of Eden; Adam was a farmer tasked to cultivate and take care of the Garden of Eden; the kingdom of heaven is likened to a farmer who planted good seed in his field; we should be patient like a farmer; we should work hard as a farmer; and there is seedtime and harvest as long as the earth endures.