While metal detecting over the last several weeks here in Western Missouri the ground has been full of Periodical Cicadas. They are also called the 17 year Cicada because they only emerge every 17 years. They look different that the annual Cicada and have a black body with orange markings and red eyes. For just a few weeks every 17 years these little creatures crawl out of the ground and sing their mating songs. Scientists tell us, “As temperatures warm in late April, immature cicadas (nymphs) open up 1/2-inch-wide holes in the soil surface. They may build 3- to 5-inch-tall mud chimneys or towers above their holes. In early May, the cicada nymphs, brown and wingless, emerge from the soil, climb up on tree trunks or other objects, and shed their exoskeletons, leaving the shell-like ‘skins’ behind. Adult males will begin their noisy singing a few days after shedding their exoskeleton and expanding their new wings. After mating, females cut slits in pencil-sized tree twigs and deposit their eggs there. Finally, eggs hatch in six to 10 weeks, and the tiny cicada offspring return to the safety of underground burrows, where they feed on roots until they mature and stage the next mass emergence.”

There are a number of broods of 17 (and 13 year) Cicadas in the United States. Thus, they appear more than every 17 years as different broods are appearing at varying intervals. According to the start of Missouri website the next brood will appear here in 2024. I know, you can hardly wait.

These little creatures have me thinking several thoughts about the wonder and intricacies of God’s creation. They have me perplexed that it happens every 17 years (Why not 5 or 10 or 15?). They amaze me at their mass number. But most of all they have me thinking about consistency. In the ground they move very little. They suck on tree sap and get bigger and bigger until the day comes that they finally emerge. 17 years of slow and steady growth until they mate and reproduce. Two adults after mating produce up to 500 eggs in 40 to 50 spots over a tiny little lifespan.

For me, it’s all a metaphor of the Christian life. Following Jesus is about slow and steady growth over a long period of time. That growth is not an end unto itself. Our growth is to one day result in the reproduction of dozens of other people into faith. What would the Church be like if every Christian produced at least one new believer every seventeen years? What if it only took 13 years? What if it happened annually? God’s kingdom is a lot like a 17 year Cicada – It is a long-term commitment that should lead to periodic seasons of growth.