In the July issue of the Pinestraw magazine, Jim Dodson offers a beautiful essay entitled “The Garden of America.” He speaks of the blessing he finds each morning his garden – “the one time in the day when I feel, with the faith of a mustard seed, to quote the mystic Dame Julian of Norwich, that all will be well.”
He speaks of Andrea Wulf’s bestseller Founding Gardeners, and the way passion for nature, plants, gardens and agriculture is deeply woven into the fabric of America. “I believe it’s impossible to understand the makings of America without looking at the founding fathers as farmers and gardeners,” Wulf writes.
This image of America as a garden is helpful in opening up new ways of thinking about this season in our nation’s life. “The beautiful thing about a garden is that it is forever changing and never completed. Revision and evolution go hand in hand with making a garden flourish and bloom.” So it is with a nation.
In the midst of a global pandemic, in a time of reckoning with years of social injustice and ever-deepening systemic racism, with growing protests calling for reform, Dodson observes that American democracy is much like a garden. Gardens are amazingly resilient in storms and drought, and when tended regularly, weeded and watered, nurtured and fed, pruned and tended with a loving eye, they flourish again, and so it is with our beloved nation.
“A true gardener’s work is never complete, likewise for a true patriot of the diverse and ever-changing garden that is America.” It’s helpful to think that in these difficult days we are actually making progress in dealing with systemic injustices, with indifference and misunderstandings and half-truths that have infested the garden of America from its very beginning.
The 197th General Assembly (PCUSA, 1985) made its own the action of the 177th General Assembly (PCUS, 1977) with reference to A Declaration of Faith which is as follows: "That 'A Declaration of Faith' be adopted as a contemporary statement of faith, a reliable aid for Christian study, liturgy, and inspiration.” These words are from that document:
We are charged to root out prejudice and racism from our hearts and institutions. We are commissioned to stand with women and men of all ages, races, and classes as they struggle for dignity and respect, and the chance to exercise power for the common good. We must not permit or tolerate in the church and its institutions the inequities we seek to correct in the world. We must be willing to make such amends as we can for centuries of injustice which the church condoned.
May we do all this and more, as we tend the “diverse and ever-changing garden that is America.”
This season in our lives is being called a time of reckoning, and there are repeated calls for repentance, reconciliation and reparations. Last week I heard the word “re-imagine” in a conversation – a call to re-imagine ways of living together in our world in ways that are better for all people. What a positive, hopeful word, filled with possibilities!
May that prayer of Julian of Norwich be the prayer of our hearts in these days of reckoning, as we re-imagine possibilities for our common life.
“All shall be well,
And all shall be
Well, and
All manner of things
shall be well.”
Elizabeth
Last week I heard it said in one of the sessions of our virtual General Assembly that “the church must be a faithful steward of the gifts of these days.” Are there gifts really, in this delicate dance among our past, present and future life as a nation? Are there gifts to be received in this time of reckoning and reforming, and reframing and reconciling?
I’ve said many times in recent months that I wish things could be like they used to be, but I don’t say that any more. I don’t want things to be like they used to be; I want them to be better. I want more for all of God’s children; I want to be better and I want to be more; I want America to be better and to be more. I want America to find true greatness, not again, but perhaps for the very first time, as we face the many ways we’ve failed to live up to our creed, and all the ways we’ve failed to be who we say we are.
Instead of being out celebrating the 4th of July like every other year, I found myself watching the Capitol 4th on PBS just like Mama and Daddy always did, and what a blessing I received. One segment showed portraits of African Americans who served this nation well – in science, religion, education and medicine; in the armed forces, in sports and on and on. I was reminded of the movie “Hidden Figures,” telling the story of three brilliant African American women playing key roles in the US Space program. Then came a poignant moment when a very special musical piece was shared. Remember the song “There’s Place for Us” from West Side Story? These words spoke new meaning in this musical offering:
“There’s a place for us,
somewhere a place for us.
We’ll find a new way of living,
we’ll find there’s a way of forgiving.
Sometime, somewhere, somehow.
There’s a place for us,
a time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we’re half way there.
Hold my hand and I’ll take you there,
Some how, some day, somewhere.”
May God help us live into the fullness of the truth that there is a place for all of us, and let us “take” each other “there.” Other special musical moments came with “Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let it Begin With Me,” and “God Bless America.” Of course, the fireworks were spectacular, even from my easy chair here in the manse!
In the closing moments of the program, these words were shared: “The journey our nation is making is one we must make together; the best way to love our country is to love one another.” Let us pray that not only the church, but each and every American will be “a faithful steward of the gifts of these days.”
In the words of one of Pete Seeger’s songs from the sixties:
One man’s hands can’t tear a prison down Two men’s hands can’t tear a prison down But if two and two and fifty make a million We’ll see that day come round We’ll see that day come round.
Praying for that day to “come ‘round” and giving thanks for those streams of mercy, never ceasing, carrying us through these days of reckoning to betters days for all of God’s children.
Elizabeth
As we enter into our fourth month this “new normal” I find I’m still struggling with how to be a pastor in such a time. The biggest challenge for me in maintaining relationships in times of social distancing. There are so few opportunities to be together, and when we are together, we’re anxious to be on our way as soon as possible. I’m trying to find a way to be connected as we navigate these strange days.
A recent article in the “Presbyterian Outlook” has been helpful. It’s not the Sunday School classes or committee and session meetings, or even worship each Lord’s Day that makes us church. It’s maintaining Christ-centered relationships with God and each other that keeps us “one in the Spirit”. I’ve found two key words most helpful: REACH and KISS.
REACH: Reach out to your own generation – get their perspective about how you’re feeling and coping. Reach down to those younger than you- ask them how they’re feeling; don’t advise, just listen well. Reach up to those who are older than you – ask them to share stories of any other major historical crisis they’ve experienced. It’s important for all of us to acknowledge and share what we’re going through. We’ll grow stronger in relationships as we do.
KISS – “keep it Super Simple” At 72 years of age, I lack knowledge of the newest technology! I appreciate the skills of younger folks who come to my aid, and am grateful for the cyber-relationships in place. E-mail devotions, a weekly JSPC Facebook page service and session conference calls help us keep in touch. A weak internet signal here in our neck of the woods limits even these means of keeping in touch. Folks are calling and texting and e-mailing! I read early on in this season of our common life, “When you can’t do what you do, do what you can.” This has proved helpful to me, in moments when I feel the need to replace everything we were doing in ministry before with something online – something I have no idea how to do!
Yesterday, we took our Summer Sunday School quarterlies to work on at home, and our Summer Sabbath was marked with a treat bag prepared by our Witness Committee and a basket of fresh summer peaches to share. We talked about “offering the little ones a cup of cold water.” May that guide us as we make our way through this “new normal” in our corner of God’s kingdom.
I enjoy thinking about words and their meanings. Among many synonyms for the word REACH, I found “extend to” and “to get through” – that’s what we’re doing! We’re trying “to get through” all that is going on, extending to each other encouragement and hope along the way. A KISS is a “loving touch” – we can do that, too, as we “keep it super simple”, sharing those “cups of cold water” with one another day by day.
Giving thanks for words and thoughts to share and for those streams of mercy, never ceasing, carrying us through these uncertain days into all that lies ahead.
Elizabeth