A Peace Rooted in Justice: Seeds of Hope.
Preached at BPFNA/Bautistas por la Paz Summer Camp 2024.
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Mark 4:7
It is a privilege for me to be here this week celebrating 40 years of BPFNA/Bautistas por la Paz—40 years of commitment to peace through active but nonviolent struggle, defending the rights of every human being to a dignified, just, free, and equal life. A struggle against all forms of racism, classism, and exclusion. Today, we celebrate the prophetic voice cultivated, taught, and exercised by each person connected to BPFNA/Bautistas por la Paz, in every church, in every space, in every country, and in every situation where intervention has been possible. A voice that denounces all forms of violence that seek to destroy the harmonious coexistence to which every human being has a right. A voice that speaks out against political, economic, social, and religious structures that condemn the majority of the world’s inhabitants to poverty, that criminalize those seeking a just future for their families, that persecute those who think, speak, and live differently. And a voice that also denounces the exploitation and destruction of the earth, our common home. We celebrate the evangelical voice that proclaims, through words and actions, the good news of a new life, a new land, a new coexistence—one without walls or barriers, ushering in a new time. We remember the founders who, 40 years ago, planted the seed of peace in the footsteps of Jesus and in the name of those who were silenced for their faithful commitment to peace throughout the world.
The reflection I have been invited to share is in the context of the "Parable of the Sower," as discussed over the past two days. Today, we focus on verse 4, which speaks of the seeds that fall among thorns. As they grow, the thorns choke the plants, preventing them from fulfilling their purpose—to bear fruit—until they wither and die. The thorny plants that suffocate life must be uprooted. León Felipe (1884-1968), the great Spanish exile poet in Mexico during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), one of the bloodiest wars, saw Hitler’s national-socialist government testing bombs that would later be used in World War II. Disillusioned by a reality that oppressed humanity, he wrote: “Enough, enough, there are no generations; from Cain to me, there is only a river of blood; the same wars, the same exploits, the same tyrants, and the same poets.”
This parable does not project us into the future but rather into the present—into the harvest. Jesus announces that the Kingdom of God is here and in action. He wants his disciples to understand the present, despite its apparent lack of meaning. However, the sower goes out to sow—this is his specific task, nothing more. This is God's new world. People who tread the earth ultimately realize that they, too, are of the earth and must relate to the seed. And the disciples begin to understand that to become fishers of men and women, they must first learn to sow.
Jesus does not mention that the sower chooses the soil; he does not decide which ground is good and which is unfavorable, which is suitable and which is less so, which terrain holds promise and which is not worth the effort. The quality of the soil is revealed after the sowing, not before. If we all remembered this, we would not fall into the temptation of classifying the different types of soil. This is a message of inclusion and encouragement against everything that prevents the seed from breaking through and bearing fruit to feed everyone, not just a select few.
The seed is that word made life, which in turn creates new times and new spaces. It is a seed of life, not death, for it carries the power of love, capable of transforming any terrain, breaking through rocks, and carving a path through the undergrowth. The seed never resigns itself to the conditions of the soil it encounters. The seed is a creator; it only needs to be allowed to work. The seed is lost only when it remains in the closed hands of the sower—who refuses to go out, not to protect the Word, but ultimately to protect their own life or prestige.
In verse 4, Jesus says the sower casts seeds onto thorny ground, and as the thorns grow, they choke the plant. He later explains that some people, driven by selfishness, greed, the worries of this age, and the deception of wealth, choke the Word. The Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano described it this way: “Humans are the only creatures specialized in the extermination of their own species.” Yet, the plant resists and refuses to give up. It fights because it knows that what is at stake is full life, peace, inclusion, justice, and love—things that those living without them rightfully deserve.
During the peace process in Chiapas, Mexico, in the mid-90s, I met extraordinary people from BPFNA who immediately committed to accompanying the reconciliation and peace efforts. On the day Mexico signed NAFTA with Canada and the United States—claiming the country was ready to join the first world, boasting of economic competitiveness—the Zapatista National Liberation Movement awakened the entire nation, declaring: “Never again a Mexico without us.” Many across the country became aware of another world—one long forgotten, dispossessed, and oppressed for five centuries. We committed to scattering seeds of peace with justice and dignity. This sparked tensions even among local communities, leading to religious conflicts. Traditionalist Catholics clashed with evangelical communities. A group of evangelicals and the Catholic diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas committed to supporting the peace and reconciliation processes. During one meeting, the dialogue spiraled out of control, accusations flew, and anger took hold. Those of us facilitating the process felt powerless to restore dialogue and considered suspending the meeting. Then, an elderly woman, who had stood silently in a corner the entire time, walked to the center of the room and spoke in her native language. Everyone fell silent and listened respectfully: “Why have we come to this? Why must outsiders come to bring us peace? Did we not help you, José, when your crops burned? And did we not help you, Jacinto, when your child was born? If we are all family and share the same God, why must we fight? Should we not live in peace as God commands, regardless of which group we belong to? Our brothers are fighting for our land, our water, and our way of life. Let us be at peace and support them.” After speaking, she returned to her corner and said nothing more. A long silence followed. Then, the leader of the traditionalist Catholic church approached the evangelical pastor and extended his hand. One by one, others followed. Finally, they signed a reconciliation and peace agreement. How was this possible? Because amid misunderstanding, anger, and selfishness—amid the recognition that the root problem lay in centuries of mistreatment—an elderly woman sowed seeds of peace, love, and reconciliation among the thorns that were choking everyone. Her words changed hearts, attitudes, and decisions. The Word took root and suffocated selfishness and anger, redirecting the struggle toward a greater cause—the peace of all indigenous peoples with justice and dignity.
What is our challenge in these times of crisis, intolerance, injustice, and discrimination based on class, race, and gender? To become seeds of the highest hope. To scatter them generously amid the thorns of evil, hatred, and violence so that a voice may rise up and cry out: This is not the way! Stop the massacre of the Palestinian people! This is not the way! Stop the war in Ukraine! This is not the way! Stop the mistreatment and violation of migrants’ rights at our borders and every border worldwide! This is not the way! Stop the violence against women and the trafficking that destroys lives! This is not the way! Stop persecuting those who think or live differently! This is not the way! Stop the destruction of the planet! This is not the way!
Do not let the creative act of the seed be lost simply because we fail to spread it with hope—not passive hope, but active hope. To hope is to rise up, to pursue something, to build, to advance, to transgress, to unite with others to do things differently. It is to recreate and transform our lives into seeds of the highest hope. BPFNA/Bautistas por la Paz, we have a challenging path ahead. Amen.
