RESTORE
This chapter from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new "Expression" of God’s Love to RESTORE the Truth.
Chapter 23 from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new “Expression” of God’s Love to RESTORE people to the Truth.
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Chapter 23: You Reap What You Sow
Let your words be naturally short 1
Strong wind does not last all morning
Sudden rain does not last all day
What causes this? Heaven and Earth! 2
If Heaven and Earth do not cause violent things to last,
How much less should you?
Those who follow God are with God 3
Those who follow the Spirit are with the Spirit
Those who follow transgression are with transgression
When you follow God, God is One with you
When you follow the Spirit, the Spirit is One with you
When you follow transgression, transgression is One with you
For whatever your faith lacks, faith cannot provide 4
Words That Are Naturally Short
“Let your words be naturally short
Strong wind does not last all morning
Sudden rain does not last all day”
In Chapter 23 of the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching, the principle that “you reap what you sow” is emphasized, aligning closely with the Christian understanding of the consequences of our actions, words, and choices. The chapter opens by advising that words should be naturally short, mirroring the biblical wisdom that “when words are many, sin is not absent” (Proverbs 10:19). It teaches that like the strong wind or sudden rain, which do not last long, the forces of nature are temporary, and similarly, human actions and words should not be violent or excessive. Just as the world itself operates within natural rhythms, human behavior should reflect moderation and balance, avoiding extremes.
Short words are not cold words. Scripture often links few words with wisdom and reverence, above all before God. When we pray, Jesus says, we do not need to pile up phrases as if God were hard of hearing (Matthew 6:7). He already knows what we need. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes puts it plainly:
“Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.”
Ecclesiastes 5:2ESV
The same wisdom shapes how we speak to each other. Jesus taught that a plain “Yes” or “No” is enough (Matthew 5:37). An honest yes does not need ten excuses, and a kind no does not need a speech. St. James gives a simple rule for every conversation, and every comment section:
“…let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
James 1:19-20NRSVue
Then the chapter points to the sky. A strong wind can bend the trees and a sudden rain can flood the street, yet neither one lasts. Our own outbursts are the same: loud for a moment, then gone, often leaving damage behind. Words spoken slowly and gently last far longer, because they carry peace instead of force.
“Jesus teaches that every oath involves a reference to God and that God’s presence and his truth must be honored in all speech.”Catechism 2153
“Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication.”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 115
It is late, and someone in the group chat posts something that makes your face hot. You start typing. Three paragraphs later you are still going, and every line is sharper than the last. Most of us have sent a message like that, and most of us have regretted it. Chapter 23 gives a better first step: “Let your words be naturally short.” Wait a minute. Pray one sentence. Then write two honest, kind lines, or none at all. The strong wind in your chest will pass. What you send will stay.
Try this today: Before you send a heated text or comment today, cut it in half, read it again, and ask: is this true, kind and needed?
Heaven and Earth Teach Gentleness
“What causes this? Heaven and Earth!
If Heaven and Earth do not cause violent things to last,
How much less should you?”
The passage further draws a parallel between the way Heaven and Earth operate, suggesting that if even the natural world does not support the violent or excessive, humans should likewise avoid such behaviors. This reminds Christians that we are called to live in harmony with God’s will, reflecting the peace and order established by Him from the beginning (Genesis 1:1-2).
The footnote takes us back to the very first page of the Bible. Before there was light, there was darkness and deep water, and over it all moved the Spirit of God. Creation did not begin with a storm that raged forever. It began with God bringing calm and order out of chaos.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Genesis 1:1-2ESV
Even when God showed Himself to the prophet Elijah, He was not in the loud and violent things. A wind tore the mountains apart, the earth shook and a fire blazed, but the Lord came in a gentle whisper. Force grabs our attention for a moment. God’s presence is quieter, and it lasts.
“…but the LORD was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
1 Kings 19:11-12NRSVue
So the chapter asks, “How much less should you?” If God, who has all power, does not keep storms raging, we have no reason to keep our anger burning, nurse grudges for years or replay old fights in our heads. “He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever” (Psalm 103:9, RSVCE). As His children, we can let our storms end too.
“Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: ‘You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.’”Catechism 299
“Inner strength, as the work of grace, prevents us from becoming carried away by the violence that is so much a part of life today, because grace defuses vanity and makes possible meekness of heart.”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 116
“We need to recognize and combat our aggressive and selfish inclinations, and not let them take root. … When we feel overwhelmed, we can always cling to the anchor of prayer, which puts us back in God’s hands and the source of our peace.”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 114
Traffic is crawling, you are already late, and someone cuts in front of you. Your hands grip the wheel, and for the rest of the drive you replay it, rehearsing what you would like to say. By the time you walk into work, the anger has followed you inside, and your coworkers get the leftovers. Chapter 23 asks a quiet question: “How much less should you?” Even the sky lets its storms pass. You can let this one go before it ruins your morning, and save your strength for what matters.
Try this today: When anger flares today, breathe slowly, pray “Jesus, gentle and humble in heart, calm me,” and let the storm pass before you speak.
We Walk With What We Follow
“Those who follow God are with God
Those who follow the Spirit are with the Spirit
Those who follow transgression are with transgression”
The central message of the chapter is the idea that one’s alignment with God, the Spirit, or transgression directly determines the outcome of one’s life. The Christian equivalent of this teaching is found in Galatians 6:7-10, which reminds believers that they will reap what they sow, whether for good or for evil. Those who follow God walk in the light, guided by His Spirit, and bear the fruits of righteousness (Galatians 5:22-26). Conversely, those who follow the path of transgression find themselves aligned with the destructive consequences of sin, distancing themselves from God’s presence and guidance.
To “follow” is a strong word in the Gospels. Jesus did not hand people a list of rules and walk away. He said, “Come, follow me,” and they walked with Him, ate with Him and learned from Him along the road. Following is more than agreeing with ideas; it means going where someone goes. And where we walk shapes who we become.
“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”
Galatians 6:7-8NRSVue
This is not a cold rule of reward and punishment. It is how love and freedom work. Every choice is a seed. A habit of prayer, honesty and patience grows into a life that stays close to God. A habit of small lies or quiet resentment grows too, and slowly pulls us away. God gives us real freedom, so our choices really matter.
The good news is that we do not follow alone. The Holy Spirit walks with those who walk with Him, and He gives the strength to keep going when doing good feels useless. St. Paul’s encouragement is for every tired parent, worker and student who wonders if it is worth it:
“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9NRSVue
“Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life.”Catechism 1731
“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just.”Catechism 1733
We do not earn God’s love by following Him; His grace always comes first. But our free choices truly shape who we become.
Look at the accounts you follow. Whatever we follow online slowly shapes how we think, what we want and how we talk. Follow outrage and you get angrier. Follow envy and you feel poorer. The same is true offline: the friends we copy, the shows we binge, the voices we let into our heads. Chapter 23 says it simply: “Those who follow God are with God.” What you follow, you walk with, and what you walk with, you slowly start to look like.
Try this today: Mute or unfollow one account that pulls you toward anger or envy, and follow one that helps you pray.
One With the One We Follow
“When you follow God, God is One with you
When you follow the Spirit, the Spirit is One with you
When you follow transgression, transgression is One with you”
The chapter now goes deeper. Following God does not only put us near Him; it makes us one with Him. This is the heart of the Christian life. Jesus did not come only to teach us but to live in us. He used the picture of a vine and its branches: the life of the vine flows into every branch that stays joined to it.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5ESV
This union is pure gift. It begins in Baptism, grows through prayer and is fed in the Eucharist, where we receive Christ Himself. Jesus promised that the Father and the Son would come and make their home with anyone who loves Him and keeps His word (John 14:23). St. Paul says it boldly: “But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:17, RSVCE).
The last line is a warning. When we keep following sin, it does not stay outside us; it settles in. What starts as one choice becomes a habit, and the habit begins to feel like who we are. But no habit is stronger than Christ. In Confession He breaks the hold of sin and joins us to Himself again.
“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Romans 6:16ESV
“Christ enables us to live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us.”Catechism 521
“Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life…”Catechism 1997
“Sin creates a proclivity to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts.”Catechism 1865
You meant to check your phone for a second, and much later you are still scrolling. It no longer feels like a decision; it feels automatic, almost part of you. That is what the chapter means: “When you follow transgression, transgression is One with you.” Our habits shape us. But it works the other way too. A short prayer every morning, Sunday Mass, a kind word you keep choosing: these slowly become part of you as well. Little by little, Christ is formed in you, and His life becomes yours.
Try this today: Pick one habit you want to break, and each time you notice it today, pray, “Jesus, I belong to You.”
What Only Jesus Can Supply
“For whatever your faith lacks, faith cannot provide”
This chapter also suggests that one’s faith, or lack thereof, has significant consequences. If we lack faith, we cannot expect it to provide the blessings or peace that only trust in God can bring. This idea is reflected in Mark 4:39-41 and Matthew 14:27-31, where Jesus calms the storm, teaching His disciples that faith in Him can bring peace even amidst chaos. Therefore, this passage reinforces the Christian call to align our lives with God’s will, cultivating faith, humility, and righteousness, knowing that our choices and actions directly impact the outcome of our lives in both the present and the eternal.
This last line guards us from a common mistake. Faith is not a power we pump up inside ourselves, as if believing hard enough makes things happen. Faith in our own faith is empty. Real faith is trust in a Person, Jesus Christ. Peter walked on the water while his eyes were on Jesus, and he began to sink when he looked at the wind.
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
Matthew 14:30-31ESV
Notice how the chapter comes full circle. It began with a “strong wind” that does not last, and it ends at sea, where the wind seemed stronger than faith. But Jesus is stronger than both. What our faith lacks, faith itself cannot provide, but He can. Even when Peter’s faith ran short, Jesus did not let him go.
So the answer to small faith is not to pretend; it is to pray. The apostles asked Jesus, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Faith grows when we feed it with Scripture, the sacraments, prayer and the company of other believers, and it comes alive when it turns into love in action.
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’”
Mark 9:24ESV
“Faith begins when we realise we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we founder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars.”Pope Francis, Extraordinary Moment of Prayer (Urbi et Orbi)
“To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith…”Catechism 162
“The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it. But ‘faith apart from works is dead’: when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body.”Catechism 1815
The diagnosis, the layoff, the call from school: some news hits like a storm at sea. You pray, but your prayers feel thin, and you wonder whether your faith is enough. Chapter 23 is honest: “For whatever your faith lacks, faith cannot provide.” You cannot squeeze out more faith by trying harder. But you can do what Peter did when the waves rose: cry out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out His hand immediately. He still does. Small faith that turns to Him is enough to begin.
Try this today: Tell Jesus honestly where your faith feels weak today, and pray: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
Chapter 23 gives us a simple way to live. Speak few and gentle words. Let storms pass instead of keeping them alive. Choose carefully what you follow, because you will walk with it and become one with it. And when faith runs short, do not try to manufacture it; turn to Jesus, who calms the wind and catches us when we sink.
Most of all, keep sowing. The harvest of a life with God rarely comes overnight. Prayers, kindness, patience and honesty are seeds that grow slowly and quietly. Some we will see grow; others God will keep for later. But no seed sown in the Spirit is ever wasted.
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:10ESV
“Such inner strength makes it possible for us, in our fast-paced, noisy and aggressive world, to give a witness of holiness through patience and constancy in doing good.”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 112
“Human virtues acquired by education, by deliberate acts and by a perseverance ever-renewed in repeated efforts are purified and elevated by divine grace. With God’s help, they forge character and give facility in the practice of the good.”Catechism 1810
Think of a garden. You do not plant tomatoes on Monday and pick them on Tuesday. You water, wait, pull weeds and wait some more. Your life with God works the same way. The patient answer you gave your teenager, the prayer you whispered on the train, the apology that cost you your pride: none of it looked like much at the time. Chapter 23 reminds us that we reap what we sow. Keep planting good seed at home, at work and in your friendships, and trust God with the harvest.
Try this today: Choose one person this week and sow one good seed in their life: a kind word, a prayer for them by name, or a helping hand.
RENEWAL
The Trinitarian M.A.P. is the method for RENEWAL, where God’s Love shapes our MINDSET, Trust in the Son directs our AIM, and Faith in the Holy Spirit guides our PRACTICE.
This chapter offers a new “Method” for the New Evangelization to RENEW our hearts and minds through the Trinitarian M.A.P. Bring this chapter into your day with the BFG Companion App. Pick Chapter 23 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind, and Chapter 23 starts with the mouth: “Let your words be naturally short.” What we say shows what we think. A mind that feels unloved has to prove itself, win every point and have the last word. A mind that rests in God’s love does not. Scripture says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues” (Proverbs 10:19). When we know the Father already loves us, we stop needing so many words to defend ourselves. We can say what is true, say it kindly, and then stop.
Then the chapter looks at the sky: “Strong wind does not last all morning. Sudden rain does not last all day.” Storms are loud, but they are short. The same is true of the storms inside us: a flash of anger, a wave of worry, a bad mood that feels like it will never lift. God’s love is not like that. “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5). A renewed mind learns to wait out the storm and to measure everything by the love that lasts.
Try this: The next time you want to win an argument, say what is true in one or two kind sentences, then stop and let God’s love do the rest.
Proverbs 10:19NRSVue “…transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech.”
Psalm 30:5NRSVue “For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
More Scripture: Proverbs 17:27 · James 1:19
Chapter 23 asks a sharp question: “If Heaven and Earth do not cause violent things to last, how much less should you?” Our aim matters here. When we aim at winning, being right or being noticed, we reach for force: the loud reply, the slammed door, the angry post. Jesus aimed at the Father’s will, and He showed a different kind of strength. He said, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We aim at Him, and His gentleness becomes our strength.
The chapter also tells us where every path leads: “Those who follow God are with God.” We become like what we follow, and we end up where it goes. So we keep our eyes on Jesus, who said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). That aim shapes ordinary choices: which voice we listen to, which feed we scroll, which friend we copy. Following Christ is not a single decision. It is a direction we choose again every morning.
Try this: Before you react to something today, ask Jesus, “What would gentle strength look like here?” and answer the way He would.
Matthew 11:29NRSVue “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
John 8:12NRSVue “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
More Scripture: Proverbs 15:1 · Hebrews 12:2
Renewal becomes real in what we sow each day. The chapter says, “When you follow the Spirit, the Spirit is One with you.” St. Paul describes it as a harvest: “whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). The Holy Spirit does not wait for big moments. He works through small seeds: a short prayer before we pick up the phone, a kind word at dinner, an honest answer at work. Seed by seed, He grows love, joy, peace and patience in us.
The chapter ends with a warning and a hope: “For whatever your faith lacks, faith cannot provide.” We cannot make faith by trying harder or by believing in our own believing. Faith is God’s gift, and the Spirit grows it when we ask. Like the father in the Gospel, we can pray, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Then we keep sowing good seed and trust the promise: “at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Try this: Pick one small good seed to sow today, like a prayer, a kind text or a patient answer, and offer it to the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 6:8NRSVue “If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”
Galatians 6:9NRSVue “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.”
More Scripture: Mark 9:24 · Galatians 5:25
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Let God’s love quiet your words and outlast your storms, aim at the gentle strength of Jesus, and let the Spirit grow every good seed you sow, trusting Him for the faith you cannot make yourself.
RESPOND
Renewal brings the transformation of our spirit with ardor, empowering us to RESPOND to the call of holiness and make disciples of all nations. This encourages meaningful dialogue to embrace shared truths that transcend cultural and religious boundaries.
Renewal does not stay inside us. What God plants, He sends out to bear fruit. Chapter 23 says, “Those who follow God are with God,” and anyone who walks with God ends up walking toward others. We do not go with loud words or forced arguments; the chapter reminds us that “strong wind does not last all morning.” We go with few words, gentle strength and good seed. Sow kindness and truth, and let God bring the harvest.
In 1983, Saint John Paul II called the Church to an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, new in its methods, new in its expression.” The Gospel never changes. The way we carry it must be alive for our time. Chapter 23 shows why: in a world of endless talk and quick outrage, people need fresh, short, gentle words that point to the God whose love outlasts every storm.
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 23 says, “When you follow the Spirit, the Spirit is One with you.” The fire is not ours to make; it burns in us when we stay close to Him.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 23 says, “Let your words be naturally short,” so share your faith in a few honest sentences, not a lecture.
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 23 reminds us that force does not last. Our tools do not push anyone; they quietly sow good seed and leave the harvest to God.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 23 says, “Let your words be naturally short,” so share your faith in a few honest sentences, not a lecture.
What my life was like before I really met Jesus.
How He met me, and the moment things began to change.
What is different now, and the hope I carry. Like the chapter’s “sudden rain,” what storm in your life finally passed because God carried you through it?
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 23 reminds us that force does not last. Our tools do not push anyone; they quietly sow good seed and leave the harvest to God.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 23, You Reap What You Sow, helps anyone who speaks too fast, reacts too hard, or wonders why their faith feels thin.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 23 when someone is caught in angry words, a storm that feels endless, or a faith that feels too small). In seconds: a reflection, the M.A.P., a saint, a prayer, Scripture, a song and a church nearby. Send it by email, PDF or a share link.
Hard question? Ask it together. Answers are grounded in Catholic teaching, the saints and the BFG Handbook. Talk or type. Try asking together: “If I am reaping what I sowed, can God still give me a fresh start?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. Prayed slowly, the Rosary teaches us short, simple words repeated in love, just as Chapter 23 says, “Let your words be naturally short.”
Catholic churches near anyone, with Mass and Confession times, directions, and one tap to add a time to the calendar. Every conversation can end at a church door. In Confession, Jesus breaks the hold of the sin we followed, and in the Eucharist He makes us one with Him again.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A short prayer at the same times each day is good seed, sown again and again until it grows a harvest.
Free to start, no card needed. Read aloud in 48 languages.
One tool that walks with a person from the first question to the church door.
Jesus sent His apostles first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Start where you are. Chapter 23 says “those who follow God are with God,” so wherever you go today, God goes with you into that room.
- Pray the Rosary together on Pray My Rosary.
- Bless your children at bedtime.
- Share a Guidance with a spouse or child who is struggling.
- Find Sunday Mass times together with Church Finder.
- At dinner, ask: “What good seed did each of us sow today, and what do we hope it grows?”
- Text a verse from your Guidance.
- Ask, “How can I pray for you?” and pray right then.
- Invite a friend to Mass, then go for coffee.
- Text a friend who is having a hard week the line: “Sudden rain does not last all day.”
- Be the calm, kind one.
- Pray on your lunch break with a reminder.
- Start a small chapter group that meets once a week. Begin with Chapter 23, You Reap What You Sow.
- Respect the rules: invite, never push.
- Listen for the moment: “Things have been hard.”
- Offer: “Can I send you something that helped me?”
- Share the Chapter 23 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- When a friend feels stuck in a habit they hate, share the line “Those who follow the Spirit are with the Spirit,” and offer to pray with them.
- Visit the sick, the elderly and the lonely; pray the Rosary with them.
- Serve at a food bank.
- Welcome newcomers at Mass.
- Join your parish evangelization team.
- Ask shops, cafés and offices to display a BFG card with a QR code.
- Offer a short lunch talk on faith at work.
- Business owners: offer the Companion to staff as a free gift, never a requirement.
- Go where people already gather, and be the friendly one who listens.
- Pray quietly for the people around you.
- When a talk turns real, share a Guidance or the chapter song.
- Wear or carry a simple sign of your faith, like a cross or a rosary, that can start a conversation.
- At the gym, everyone knows you reap what you train; share that Chapter 23 says the same of the soul: what we follow, we become.
- Host a Chapter 23 “You Reap What You Sow” night, a Handbook chapter night, a Rosary night or an “Ask Anything” faith night.
- Show the Companion on a big screen and let people try it.
- We did this at our free conference, The New Evangelization in the Age of AI, at Christ Cathedral.
- Share a Guidance, a chapter song or a Scripture card. Try: “Strong wind does not last all morning. Sudden rain does not last all day.”
- One post can reach someone you will never meet.
- Join a parish or diocese mission trip.
- The Companion speaks 48 languages, so you leave behind something that keeps speaking after you go home.
- Every culture knows storms and harvests, a natural bridge to Chapter 23 and to the God whose love outlasts them all.
- Your parish ministries, the Legion of Mary, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, prison, hospital and campus ministries, and mission groups.
- Bring the BFG tools to their work.
You may not see the harvest right away. Some seeds take a long time to grow. But Chapter 23 promises that “those who follow God are with God,” so you never go alone. Go with few words. Go with gentle strength. Go together. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, to sow good seed and to trust Him with every harvest.
God whose love outlasts every storm, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
NRSVue © 2021 and RSVCE © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.