Seed Germination

Spring has finally arrived at my home in the State of NH. Bulbs that we planted in fall have now sprouted. The process of germination is fascinating. In New England, seeds of native berries, like raspberries and blackberries, need to be abraded in a bird’s gizzard (eroded by digestive acids) before water and air can enter and initiate new life. Other seeds, like the giant sequoia, require fire to prod them out of dormancy. Still others require wind to take them on their course. Some jungle plant seeds require light from an opening in the canopy above while other seeds need freezing, heat, or even darkness. The flannel flower (pictured right) drops seeds that are sensitive to an ingredient in bushfire smoke. Eleven years of research in Australia determined that a particular butenolide chemical helps them germinate (presumably ensuring that a fire has brought about an opening for fresh life). In a similar way, Hebrews 12:11 tells us that God allows hardship into the Christian life to produces the “peaceable fruit of righteousness.”

Posted on May 1, 2018 by dwoetzel.