Spiritual Gardening with Hobbits: Dirt, Soil, and Second Breakfasts

John 15:1-8   |  Mark 4:1-20  |  Isaiah 58:11 


A few years ago, I decided to try my hand at gardening—enthusiastic and blissfully ignorant. I’d tell my expert gardener friend all about what I planned to grow in my “dirt.” Every time though, with gentle correction, they’d say, “You mean soil.”

It took a while before I really heard the difference. But then I noticed—those big bags at the garden center weren’t labeled “Premium Dirt.” They all said soil. Slowly, I understood: dirt and soil are not the same.

Dirt is what you sweep out of your house. Dirt is soil with no power—dead, dry. It has no nutrients, and not even worm-approved.

Soil, on the other hand—good soil—is full of life. It’s rich with organic matter, crawling with beneficial organisms, and bursting with potential. It does something. It grows things.

Pastor Jay taught last week that our heart is the soil of our inner life. It’s where everything—faith, love, purpose—either grows or withers. 

Forgiveness is like water for that soil. Receiving and releasing forgiveness nourishes, cleanses, and enriches the condition of your heart. Other people might temporarily affect—or infect—it, but ultimately, you are the one responsible for tending the garden of your soul.

A great allegory for this might be from the movie series The Lord of the Rings.

Consider two places in Tolkien’s world: the Shire and Mordor.

The Shire is the home of the Hobbits, and looks like everything you would want in a spiritual home. A community filled with gardens, friends, laughter, and second breakfasts. For Hobbits, the Shire is even more; it's their identity and a source of their values. It’s peaceful, connected, and fruitful.

This is good soil. The Hobbits live in a way that reflects what Jesus described in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4)—a life where hearts are open, deep, and ready to receive God’s word.

Then there’s Mordor.

Mordor is the opposite of the Shire, dusty, dark, and lonely—where nothing good can grow—just like dirt. A landscape of bitterness and spiritual dehydration—disconnected from others. Mordor is what happens when you stop watering your heart.

Even when their quest took the Hobbits through that desolate land, they endured because they remembered the Shire. Its peace and community gave them strength and purpose. They were able to overcome temptations and the forces of evil because they remembered their values and identity,

You need a Shire, too—a space where your soul can breathe, heal, and grow. When life feels like Mordor, your connection to God, community, and allowing forgiveness to water your soul is what will nourish you back to life.

As we aim for lives that look more like the Shire and less like Mordor we will cultivate peace and purpose—turning the dusty places of our hearts from dirt to vibrant soil.

So pick up a watering can, pull a few weeds —and don't forget a second breakfast.




Digging Deeper

1. In what areas can you be intentional this week about receiving and releasing forgiveness?

2. Are there areas of your heart or schedule that feel more like Mordor—dry, driven, or disconnected? What might be choking out growth there?

3. Where might God be inviting you to pull a few weeds, nourish your heart, and make room for growth?