THE POINT of the Garden's Grace is to offer a bit of a haven in this otherwise disquieted world. As Christians we believe that the only true peace to be found in this world comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Then endeavoring to live our lives in a manner that is both submissive to and reflective of Him. As an extension of this, we believe that our lives are not about what we can get for ourselves, but what we can give. IT WOULD SEEM THAT JESUS WAS TELLING US THAT IF SELF-GLORIFICATION AND MATERIAL SUCCESS BY A WORLD STANDARD ARE WHAT WE SEEK that ultimately we run the risk of materialism, greed, being consumed by the fear of lack, and losing our place on the "ladder" (scripture says: "moth, rust, and dust...") There is an old German anabaptist phrase that says " In the world I find nothing but war, strife, and conflict. But in my garden I find love, peace, rest, ...........and unity". It is interesting is it not to note that God made us firstly gardeners by mission. We have probably all seen that sign which reads "life began in a garden". It became so frequently used that one was inclined to no longer notice it, but it does bear thinking about. IN FACT, even after the fall of mankind it seems, that the first occupations were those close the earth (which would seem to make sense). HOWEVER, JESUS; WHEN HE WALKED AMONG US, USED EXAMPLES AND METAPHORS THAT REMAINED STILL VERY TIED TO THE SOIL; LIVELIHOODS AGRARIAN OR ORGANIC IN NATURE. He spoke of shepherds, farmers, vineyard and orchard dressers, potters, millers, gleaners and thrashers with a kind of "salt of the earth" inference. We tend to think that these were the only occupations of people at that time and granted they were a significant portion. There were many others however; merchants, lenders, tax collectors, Pharisees, innkeepers, courtesans, and noblemen to name just a few. Interestingly, Jesus seemed to frequently allude to these as those that had "gained the whole world and lost their souls". DOES ALL THIS MEAN THAT EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE UP A PLOWSHARE, or that everyone whose livelihood comes from something other than directly tied to the earth is doomed. No, certainly not ! It does however mean that in a world that grows increasingly less stable; that promised much based on man's own self-reliance, and has continued to fall increasingly short of that mark that we too must be very careful of the "leaven of the Pharisees". It is difficult today to not get swallowed up in the tidal wave of man's mad crush to bulldoze, level, and pave everything in sight. It is easy to miss in the storms, earthquakes, and floods of 21st century the still small voice that can only be heard softly on the breeze. WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE WERE GIVEN STEWARDSHIP OVER THE EARTH, AND TO SUBDUE IT. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT TO SUBDUE IT IN THE SENSE OF BEATING IT TO A LIFELESS BALL OF DUST, BUT TO "DRESS THE VINES, MAKE STRAIGHT THE PATHS, PLOW IN STRAIGHT LINES" UNTIL THE DAY THAT HE TO WHOM ALL THIS BELONGS RETURNS. |
Garden's Grace E F HOME & CO |
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Let no one then seek his own good, advantage, and profit, but rather each one of the other. Let him seek the welfare of his neighbor. For the (whole) earth is the Lord's and everything that is in it. I Cor. 10:24 & 26 |
Life is fragile handle with care. |