Why is the book entitled "The Parable of the Sower"?

The novel takes its title from the parable of the sower in the Gospel of Luke. The sower is the spiritual teacher who spreads the word of truth. Some people listen; others do not, just as seeds take root in some places but not in others. In the New Testament, the sower is Jesus; in the novel, it is Lauren. The metaphor of the seed occurs again in the name Lauren gives to her new religion, Earthseed. It is also reflected in the name of the first Earthseed community: Acorn.