Today when viewing or listening to the Christian media one often finds references to “Sowing a seed,”  in connection with funding of Christian ministries. Sometimes these appeals are accompanied by direct promises that any gift to their ministry will result in a guaranteed return of many times the original gift. This return comes from “God” and never from the ministry that is doing the pleading. It is true that even Solomon said that one should cast their bread upon the waters so that it may return after many days. But he did not specifically state that the return would be ten-fold. There is certainly a truism here at the very least and even secular studies suggest that a generous outlook tends to lead to a more positive outcome.

Recently I noted that my garden tended to be devoid of bird-life so I invested in a bird-feeder and some birdseed. Initially…