‘Hooray! It is harvest time’

The Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson highlights the importance of giving thanks for harvest.

HOORAY! It is harvest time!!

There we are, hurtling along the road in our car on some imagined mission of huge national importance, racing against the clock to get somewhere; muttering at cyclists and other drivers who are inconsiderate enough to want a bit of our road (and hoping they can’t lip-read as we pass by), rounding a bend and coming up behind a tractor and trailer. It is silage time. Over the next few miles, with no opportunity to overtake, we notice there is another tractor in front of the one in front. But of course, after the silage is cut, the fields are often doused in slurry, which means our newly washed car is going to get covered with its own unique odour. And, we are in a hurry.

Hooray. It is harvest time and that means more tractors. I am certain that most of us on such a car journey do not start singing songs of everlasting thanks and praise to our great God for the generous provision, or blessing the farmers for the work they do to put food on our plates!

So here is our challenge for harvest and beyond. If we get stuck on our travels behind a tractor or a combine or a trailer or any other mysteriously shaped implement that belongs in a field, take it as an opportunity for reflection, for thanksgiving and for praise.

Why should we bother? Firstly, because praising God for our blessings should become a matter of habit in all of us.

“ If we get stuck on our travels behind a tractor or a combine or a trailer or any other mysteriously shaped implement that belongs in a field, take it as an opportunity for reflection, for thanksgiving and for praise.

Secondly, because we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the farmers who are taken for granted. Most of us have become emotionally and practically detached from the source of our food. Our food comes from the fridge… but we know it doesn’t really come from the fridge as we get it from the corner shop or supermarket. We cannot and must not take food provision as guaranteed.

Speak to any farmer and we quickly learn of the issues of balancing production costs with sales figures. Climate change, population growth and world politics mean that it is becoming more difficult to ensure there is enough for the world’s needs.

Hooray. It is harvest time but we need to appreciate the year-round activity that is required to produce a harvest. Then, when we are inconvenienced and find ourselves stuck behind a tractor, take a deep breath (as long as the slurry trailer is not attached) and smile, and ask for God’s blessing on all those who work on the farm and who play a part in providing our food.

For those in rural or semi-rural parishes, if the worship leader arrives late for the service on a Sunday morning you now understand why! While waiting for the service to begin, use the time to offer thanksgiving prayers to God (no matter the time of year) for the seed-time and the harvest and for our life, our health and our food (to paraphrase We Plough the Fields and Scatter).

Happy harvest to you all.

The Rt Rev Shaw Paterson is Moderator of the General Assembly in 2024/2025 and minister of Strathaven: Trinity.