Terroir: What Kind of Soil Are You?

We'll get right back to terroir, but bear with me because this part is important.

It's springtime now, and that means it's time to work on the lawn. I probably will never be that guy with the perfect lawn. I know so, because that guy lives across the street from me and his name is Ron, but I make my kids call him "Mr. Ron" which is appropriate given the caliber of his lawn. I know I'll never have a lawn like his, because who has that kind of time? (Mr. Ron does.) Still, it never stops me from fantasizing that maybe this year, when I go out and throw some grass seed on the empty patches in my front yard, it'll grow magically overnight to be as lush and green as Mr. Ron's.

And this reminds me of a story.

Two thousand years ago a Jewish rabbi named Jesus (maybe you've heard of him) told this unforgettable parable about four different kinds of soils. It's sometimes called the "Parable of the Sower," but it's not about the sower (a.k.a. "farmer") at all. What it's really about people's response to his teaching. I'll paraphrase it here in case you haven't heard it in a while.

So this farmer is going along and spreading seed across his land, more or less indiscriminately (which is basically how I put down grass seed in my front yard). Some falls along the footpath where he's walking, and the birds come and steal it away. Some falls on rocky ground, but can't take root because the soil is too hard and dry. Some falls on otherwise good ground, but because the weeds always seem to grow up first, it gets choked out. Just like every lawn (except Mr. Ron's).

The turning point in the story comes when this seemingly careless farmer happens to land some seed on good ground that is well-watered, with ample light and shade, and no weeds. Surprise! That soil produces a crop that far outweighs the value of the seed that was supposedly 'wasted' on the other soils. Even though he appears careless, the farmer wins because it's the condition of the soil that's most important.

The point? Good soil produces a crop. Now we're back to terroir.

If you look at your life, what kind of soil are you? If we're honest, we can all be any of these soils on any given day. But taking a terroir approach to life means taking a close look at those factors that make up our life: our topography, climate, environment, and most importantly, the condition of our soil. We have to look at the inner workings of our own hearts: the invisible and intangible factors that feed into our connections with others.

To put it another way, the quality of my connection with others depends on the quality of my soil. My own approach to terroir in life thus has a direct influence on the fruitfulness and yield of my life, including my experience of feelings like abundance, joy, and purpose. Sounds appealing, right?

In my own work, I am first and foremost a teacher. But even though there have been some incredibly cool moments in the classroom (like that time I splattered house paint on Jason Magnuson's new jeans on the first day of class - all to prove a point about theology and postmodern culture), we don't remember those, necessarily; instead what we remember is the connection those moments fostered and the conversations, relationships, and commitments that followed along after that.

The equation, then, looks something like this:

my terroir + your terroir = relationship

My gift is to see this in you, help you cultivate your soil, so that you can be better in every area of life. And better is defined as flourishing; having a healthy, balanced terroir and as a result becoming fruitful in the aspects of life are most important to you. To be a better spouse, parent, employee, student, leader, creative, athlete. What I love to do is help people accomplish that, and I do it by being all-in on the relationship that comes from terroir.

Remember, terroir is the connection. Our connection. And here's what it looks like:

(ill. cred. Kaelyn Joy Loverin)

Soil. Think of this as 'the real you.' You have a unique personality, but you wear it as a mask to protect yourself and feel safe in your environment. What you need (and what the world needs from you!) is to discover the essence of who you are meant to be. I can help with that. 100%.

Topography. This is your background, your story, your family history. You couldn't pick your parents, siblings, or teachers growing up. You couldn't control whether they were heroes or villains. But your experience matters - it's made you who you are. And who you are is beautiful. To know where you're going, you have to know where you've been, and I can help you make sense of what got you to this point.

Climate. This is your changing world. Your physical environment, job, geographical location, your financial fortunes. This is you in the mini Ice Age of a global pandemic; you didn't mean for it to happen, but here you are. What you are going to do now that everything has changed? I can definitely help you navigate the changing winds and, as Hamlet would say, "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."

Flora & Fauna. This is your social environment and your relationships. I get it - it's complicated. Between romantic relationships, employer-employee dynamics, uncouth or bullying co-workers or superiors, a difficult spouse, parents, in-laws or children? We've all been there. But what if you had a map, like a field guide to birds for all of these connections? I bet bring knowing how to bring some terroir to your relationships wouldn't hurt either. I'm here to help.

As a teacher, it is my supreme privilege to connect with students, and build a relationship with them that goes far beyond teacher-student. It is a commitment that lasts a lifetime, because I'm all-in on what I have to teach. In a classroom full of students there are all kinds of soils, and as a teacher/farmer, what I look for is the good soil. I'm looking for connection. I'm looking for terroir and the chance to cultivate a relationship that yields a harvest.

Let's come back to the question, what kind of soil are you? The good news is, you can decide! You can choose to be the good soil, because I'd be all in on you, too. The world needs you, needs you to show up on a daily basis. We need you to to bring the depths of who you truly are to the surface, to bring the best of what you have to offer to our world. Because you are a gift.

But let's be honest, this can be hard work. A bit overwhelming to think about.

I'm here to help.

Next time, we'll talk about what I have to teach and how it will help you get there. I can't wait!

Grace and peace,

Mat