In the Garden

“And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there God put the a-dám whom God had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. . .” Genesis 2: 8-9a

I had the wonderful opportunity this week to visit a new program sponsored by Princeton Theological Seminary called “Farminary,” which integrates theological education with small-scale sustainable agriculture.  Working intimately with God’s creation while reflecting both on God’s Word and the produce of that work offers a unique perspective of our (that is human’s) relationship with all of Creation.  

I am not a farmer or a gardener.  Most of the time I think I inherited my mother’s “brown thumb." I consider it a victory when I manage to keep house plants alive through both neglect and over watering.  But I am still fascinated by the growing process.  The fact that a seed must “die” in order to become something else, something more captivates my Christian heart.  We live off the resurrection of so many plants that have come before.  We are sustained by the ability of others taking time to tend and care for these plants, enabling us to have the energy to do the work we are given to do.

The interconnections are obvious, and yet too often we are so far removed from where our food comes from that those connections are banished from our sight. Seeing small orka, tomato, pepper, squash and many other plants rising from the soil brings the truth of our relationship with Creation into clear focus.

But there is so much more to this story than enjoying the wonders of a garden.  We are becoming more aware of those who are “food insecure,” those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, as well as how nutrition directly effects our health.  There is a direct relationship between those who eat “cheap” food and their health.  Yes, all food will satisfy our bodies need for energy, but if those calories come from food dense in fat and sugar, without any real nutritional value, the cost comes from managing health issues, like heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 

Too often food pantries are packed with such processed foods that nutrition is an afterthought.  If we, as committed Christians who love our neighbors as ourselves, want to feed the hungry (and I know we do), we need to be more intentional about what food is provided.  More and more church communities are making community gardens, like the one at Princeton Seminary, in order to supplement the food provided by food banks, pantries and soup kitchens.  Nothing is better than fresh vegetables to provide good nutrition, which leads to better health.

In Greek, the words for “health” and “salvation” come from the same root!  There is an inherent connection between God’s presence in our lives and our well-being.  The closer we are to our roots in the garden, the healthier we are.

I have mentioned having a garden at St. Barnabas before and the idea has not taken root.  It might not be our calling, but we can still be more cognizant of what we bring to offer the South Brunswick Food Pantry. If you do have a garden at home with more produce than you know what to do with, please let me know as we have outlets both with the SBFP and the Christ Church Food Pantry in New Brunswick.  We might think about how we can use some of those resources to offer healthy options during Coffee Hour or at a Pot Luck Dinner. 

As we enter into the summer months that offer us amble opportunities to enjoy the fruits of the Creation, I invite you to take time to not only enjoy the brilliant colors, delicious smells and the richness of flavor, but also reflect on how God is present in the bounty and in your life.  And how we can share that experience with all of God’s children.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+