"Is Bridgerton Sci-Fi? "

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vXu9MGt2TLg

Listening That Changes Everything

DID YOU KNOW

Scripture repeatedly returns to a searching question that reaches beyond belief and presses into posture: not simply what we hear, but how we hear. Across Genesis, the Gospels, and the wisdom literature, God reveals that hearing is never passive. It is relational, moral, and transformative. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 13 draws together this long biblical thread by exposing the condition of the heart as the decisive factor in spiritual growth. Parables, which often clarify truth, here become instruments of exposure—revealing not God’s reluctance to speak, but humanity’s resistance to listen. The question before us is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are positioned to receive what He says.

Did you know that Scripture treats hearing as a moral posture, not a sensory ability?

When Jesus quotes Isaiah—“For the heart of this people has become dull” (Matthew 13:15)—He identifies the true obstacle to understanding. The issue is not the ears but the heart. In Scripture, the “heart” is the seat of will and desire, not merely emotion. The Greek verb translated “has become dull” implies being thickened or calloused through repeated resistance. Over time, spiritual inattentiveness reshapes perception. This explains why the same gospel message can soften one person while leaving another unmoved. Hearing, biblically understood, is an act of submission before it is an act of comprehension.

This insight reframes the Parable of the Sower. The seed is consistently good; the soils vary. Jesus is not evaluating intelligence, education, or exposure to truth, but receptivity. The path represents a heart hardened by neglect, where the word never penetrates. The rocky soil depicts enthusiasm without depth—initial joy without endurance. The thorns portray divided loyalty, where anxiety and accumulation choke spiritual vitality. Each soil hears the word, yet only one truly receives it. The difference lies not in access to revelation, but in willingness to be shaped by it. Hearing, in God’s economy, is inseparable from humility.

Did you know that fruitfulness is the biblical evidence of genuine hearing?

Jesus makes a decisive move in Matthew 13:23 by linking understanding with transformation. The good soil “hears the word and understands it”—and that understanding is demonstrated through fruit. In biblical thought, understanding (syniēmi) means bringing things together into lived coherence. It is not abstract agreement but embodied obedience. This echoes the wisdom tradition of Ecclesiastes, where mere observation without action leads to futility and despair (Ecclesiastes 4:1–7). Knowledge that does not shape conduct eventually burdens the soul.

Fruitfulness, however, is not uniform. Jesus speaks of yields of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, affirming that God does not measure faithfulness by comparison. What matters is correspondence between what has been received and what is expressed. This guards against both pride and discouragement. The hearer who bears thirtyfold is no less faithful than the one who bears a hundred. Each responds according to grace given. What unites them is not productivity, but surrender. Hearing that leads to fruit is hearing that continues—listening again and again, allowing the word to reorder priorities, relationships, and desires over time.

Did you know that anxiety is presented in Scripture as a rival voice to God’s word?

The thorny soil is perhaps the most unsettling because it represents sincere engagement undermined by competing concerns. Jesus names “the cares of the world” as suffocating forces. The Greek term for cares (merimna) refers to mental fragmentation—a divided mind pulled in multiple directions. This aligns closely with Ecclesiastes’ portrayal of restless striving that leaves people isolated and unsatisfied. Anxiety does not usually reject God outright; it crowds Him out. It fills the inner space where trust is meant to grow.

This insight is deeply pastoral. Many believers do not struggle with disbelief but with displacement. God’s word is heard, yet other voices speak louder—fear about the future, pressure to succeed, concern for security. Over time, these voices sap attentiveness and dull spiritual responsiveness. Jesus’ warning is not harsh but honest: divided allegiance leads to diminished vitality. The invitation is not withdrawal from the world, but re-centering the heart so that God’s word remains primary. Hearing well requires intentional resistance to rival narratives that promise stability but cannot deliver it.

As these Scriptures converge, a consistent picture emerges: God desires hearers who are receptive, resilient, and responsive. Hearing is not a momentary event but a cultivated posture. It involves attentiveness to God’s voice, openness to correction, and willingness to be changed. From Abraham’s intercession in Genesis 18, to Jesus’ parables, to the sobering reflections of Ecclesiastes, Scripture affirms that listening precedes healing, growth, and fruitfulness. The promise Jesus holds out is not merely information, but restoration—“and I would heal them.”

As you reflect on these truths, consider your own posture before God. Where does the word tend to fall in your life right now? Are there hardened places shaped by disappointment, shallow places marked by inconsistency, crowded places filled with anxiety, or receptive places ready for growth? This is not a question meant to accuse, but to invite. God continues to sow generously. The soil can be tended. The heart can be renewed. Listening that changes everything begins with humility—a quiet readiness to hear, receive, and follow.

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Cached US #KindleBookGiveaway on bsky: 6 copies of #OctaviaEButler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, over at https://bsky.app/profile/kithrup.bsky.social/post/3m5tvsyrqsk23

#ParableOfTheSower #ParabelOfTheTalents

Careful where you end up

I’ve had a situation recently where I thought I was entering a sanctuary — a place of peace, healing, and connection — in reality, it turned out to be a glorified work camp. The experience was enlightening, in a dark kind of way.

I really love the idea of a sanctuary, a refuge from the insanity of our modern capitalist world. There are all kinds of sanctuaries. Some are totally natural, an others maybe following a specific spiritual path. Either way, it’s nice to have a place that’s far removed from employment, technology, and the rat race. There is something about just being with natural rhythms that is better

Sanctuary is a place set apart as a refuge of safety, peace, and renewal. At its root, the word means “sacred space”– originally the innermost part of a temple where one could encounter the divine, and later a place where people could seek shelter and protection..

One of my favorites is Garths Boulder Gardens, near Joshua Tree in Landers, California. It’s 640 acres — an entire square mile — of desert boulders, caves, and gardens. People have lived there in a relatively free and creative way for decades. I spent a year there myself, so I know it well.

Garth would occasionally say that if people could put in a couple of hours of work a day, that would be enough to take care of the place, but he would never really ask people directly to work. He would always leave it as a possibility or suggestion. Many visitors didn’t contribute much at all, but others worked out of self-motivation, planting gardens, building new spaces, cooking meals, or caring for others. My own contribution was to build one new cob structure every month. Over twelve months I finished twelve projects — my favorites being the Frog Oven and the Boulder Cave, both of which were used often for years afterward. Other residents had their own projects too — gardens, caregiving, cooking, smoothie-making, whatever!

Boulder Gardens is pretty remote, but people worldwide came to visit, sometimes a day, sometimes a week, and sometimes a year (as in my case). The fridges were usually full and “free game” because short-term visitors would leave behind so much food, so there was always something to eat for the seven to ten of us long term residents. Days were magical. I remember early-morning coffee and movie nights with Garth, who gave the place its soul. Garth has since passed on, but my understanding is that the mission has been to keep things as close as possible to the way he intended.

So Boulder Gardens is a true sanctuary. because of the voluntary contributions and minimal obligations, it truly a unique kind of place. It honors creative energy, not forced labor. A place where people can rest, heal, and also express themselves.

But there’s a darker side. There are other places that call themselves sanctuaries but operate more like work camps. In those places you’re not really invited to rest or heal — you’re expected to put in hours of unpaid labor. The work is often presented as necessary and critical, but in reality it’s a shift away from the true spirit of sanctuary and into productivity.

I was at one of these “sanctuaries” recently, traveling there about five times in total over a couple of months. It was an absolutely beautiful location, and one of the most remote places I’ve ever been. While there, I helped out a lot. My partner and I completely cleaned out one house, then a second as well. We scrubbed and sterilized kitchens and bathrooms full of rat droppings. We moved mulch and put protective cages around trees. A front door was repaired here, a wall repaired there. Chickens were fed, goats were milked, gardens were watered — plus hours of travel time, the cost of gasoline, and even spare tires. We jumped to every request made of us.

But it wasn’t for me. The vibe of the place was made crystal clear when I got an email today saying (and these are the property owner’s actual words):

“I am a laborer on this land and anyone else that comes out here also has to wear that hat as well. This is get-your-hands-dirty hard work…. This is not going to be a good fit for you.”

So basically, if you go there you are not a guest — you’re expected to take on the same physical burdens as the landholder. Infrastructure projects are the focus. There is no invitation into silence, spirit, or rest, only into labor. Interestingly, this landlord has a PhD in Theology.

Finally, in the process of helping, I injured myself badly enough to need six stitches in my knee. And then that email came today, which quite literally added insult to injury.

A while back I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Written in the 1990s, it imagined what California might be like in 2025, (now!) I actually wish I had never read the book because it is such a depressing novel. People were just evil. Work camps were the norm, resembling the Russian gulags. People were dying left and right, and others were enslaved with electronic collars they couldn’t remove, collars that would shock them into submission. A Trump-like figure was fanning the flames of Christian extremism.

In the midst of it all, the protagonist, Lauren Olamina, is trying to create a spiritual philosophy called Earthseed. Its central belief is “God is Change.” Out of this vision, she and her followers eventually establish a community on farmland in Northern California — a sanctuary among the collapse of a moral society, one that she hopes will carry humanity to the stars, and beyond.

I identify with her because I, along with quite a few others I know, am also trying to create sanctuary in the midst of all this chaos. I think this is what people mean when they say “this is a spiritual war against good and evil”. Though we are not in complete social collapse yet, I do see the declining trend here. I think it take maybe another generation. But Butler has positive words also, which echo across time:

“Kindness eases Change. Love quiets fear.” — Parable of the Talents

The heart of sanctuary isn’t labor camps or forced productivity, but kindness, love, and the space to rest and grow. I think it’s a vision worth holding onto, even in a world that often pushes the opposite.

https://bookwyrm.social/book/175137/s/octavia-e-butlers-parable-of-the-sower

#OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #Earthseed #SpiritualGrowth #Sanctuary #WorkCamp #EcoSpirituality #SpiritualRefuge #IntentionalCommunity #AlternativeLiving #BoulderGardens

https://redecker.vivaldi.net/2025/09/25/spiritual-sanctuary-or-spiritual-work-camp/

#Sanctuary #AlternativeLiving #bouldergardens #Earthseed #EcoSpirituality #garthsbouldergardens #IntentionalCommunity #JoshuaTree #OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #SpiritualGrowth #spirituality #SpiritualRefuge #spiritualretreat #WorkCamp

Looking forward to catch up with these classics.

#OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #ParableOfTheTalents #SystemsThatMatter

I'm wondering if Parable of the Sower will eventually develop a plot or continue to be a succession of horrible things happening.

#OctaviaButler #ParableOfTheSower #ScienceFiction

I've reached 2025 in Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and I'm already starting to suspect that this book will be no fun.

#ParableOfTheSower #OctaviaButler #ScienceFiction