One day a tailor named James went to his shop to sew. He gathered his needles and thread and laid them on the table. He then selected four pieces of cloth.

The first was a piece of thick black leather used in making jackets for bad-ass bikers who rode Harley Davidson motorcycles and screamed neo-Nazi slogans while roaring down the street. The needle broke in the tailor’s hand when he tried to stick it into the cloth. It was too hard.

The second piece of cloth was made of finely woven silk. The needle and thread passed through the cloth easily. But the silk was so thin that when the fibers got hot, they melted into a puddle of delusion. The only customers who bought the cloth were under-employed Hollywood starlets who thought they might benefit from a wardrobe malfunction when paparazzi flash bulbs started popping.

The third piece of cloth was a blend of fibers from the coffee bean and poison ivy plants. The needle and thread easily bound the fabric together. But after an hour, the customer would break out in a fit of hyperactive itching constantly checking their cell phones while scratching their armpits.

The fourth piece of cloth was made from one-thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton. Needle and thread stitching seemed almost invisible. The tailor made a lovely cap that he wore to cover his bald head while singing songs in Central Park to nostalgic baby boomers worried about losing their social security benefits.

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear!

For more information about the Parable of the Sower
Retreat Guides-Lessons from Mark #6-Parable of the Sower
Vincent Van Gogh and His Sower Paintings