As the recent Vatican document Verbum domini pointed out, “word” has a wide range of meaning. It can be understood as a divine communication or message, as well as the creative and dynamic will of God. In Genesis, creation took place through the word of God — clearly more than mere speech in the usual sense. In Isaiah’s example, the word goes out from God to accomplish the divine will and does not return until the mission is accomplished. In the prologue of the Gospel of John, Jesus Himself was the Word (logos) of God — the medium was definitely the message. In fact, the Word of God can be expressed in so many ways. God communicates with us through creation, nature, works of art and music, literature, inspired prophets, the events of salvation history (like exodus), the Scriptures, inspired preaching and our own experience. Any object, event, word or person that deepens our understanding of God and draws us closer to God and others is a prime candidate for God’s word. When we learn to read the created world, human culture and our own experience, we will see that God is in constant communication with us. We are not alone or bereft of guidance. In addition to that, the world that so often appears godless and adrift is being carefully shepherded by the divine will. God’s dynamic word is at work in thousands of places at once and what seems to us to be chaos usually carries within it the seeds of a new order and harmony. God is alive and so is the world — let us pray that we can open our eyes, minds and hearts so that we can learn to read God’s word. 

God’s word is at work redeeming humanity — that is not new. But Paul went a step further than that — God’s word is at work redeeming all of creation. The created order, all of it, shares in the redemption brought by Jesus. The universe is alive in God. This does not come without struggle, and Paul uses the apt example of birth pains to describe our constant process of becoming. 

The word of God was the focus of the parable of the sower. In the parable that Jesus narrated, the sower’s hard work bore only random and irregular results. Some of the seeds fell on a well-trodden path, rocky ground or among the thorns. Lacking depth, roots or stamina they all eventually withered and died. Only the seeds that fell on good soil brought forth abundant harvests of grain. The puzzled disciples asked for a “translation” from Jesus — they didn’t have a clue. As Jesus broke open the parable for them, it was apparent that it described the action of the word of God in the world in a manner that resonates with the passage from Isaiah. The seed — the word of God — was scattered abundantly far and wide. Whether it bore fruit or not depended solely on the soil, the receiver, and not on anything else. There were no favoured or special seeds — all carried the potential for bearing fruit. 

Human superficiality, laziness, closed mindedness, distraction and lack of commitment were all symbolized in the various types of unsupportive soil. The good soil was the jackpot and bore enormous results. In keeping with Jesus’ explanation, the good soil meant those who heard the word of God and understood it. They didn’t just cast it aside but broke it open and applied it to their lives. These people were spiritually aware, open and seeking, and not just along for the ride or religious out of habit or culture. 

The word is scattered in our midst each day in countless ways. Sometimes we unwittingly play the role of the sower. Much of it doesn’t bear fruit, at least immediately. We should not be discouraged, for Isaiah assures us that the word does not depart until its mission is complete.