Free Sweetcorn

The farmers’ market was loaded with vegetables at the height of the harvest. My wife and I moved through the crowd with our children, enjoying the sights and smells – and the samples!

A farmer was standing in front of a truckload of sweetcorn and advertising with an appeal to neighbourliness: ‘Buy a dozen ears and get an extra dozen free if you agree to do a favour for a neighbour.’ I watched people pass by. No one seemed interested – no one took the farmer’s offer. I wondered if he actually would give us free corn for a verbal agreement.

Perhaps that was the problem. Suppose there was a ‘catch’? We approached the farmer and bought a dozen ears of corn. He asked if I wanted another dozen free for agreeing to do a favour for a neighbour. I said we would be glad to and then left.

For the past 30 years, that interaction in the farmers’ market has played out in amazing ways. As I have given favours and generous quantities of garden vegetables to friends and neighbours alike, I have come to understand more deeply Paul’s words in today’s reading. That farmer inspired us to give freely, and in return we have not only got to know our neighbours but have also reaped the tremendous joy that comes from generosity.

Prayer: Generous God, thank you for the privilege of sharing your abundant gifts with others. Though we cannot match your generosity, help us to develop a lifestyle of cheerful giving. Amen