“And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”
– Genesis 2:8-9, 15
The season of gardening has arrived and many of us who rather reluctantly keep a few houseplants alive throughout the year, find ourselves drawn as though by a magnetic force to a garden center (or two or three). Everything is so fresh and looks so ready to grow that in your mind’s eye you can see beautiful tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots — perhaps even something new and a little exotic. You can imagine bright flowers in a colorful variety brightening the porch, the patio, or the deck. A beautiful home and yard, delicious healthy food — it’s perfect! Right?
Well, it is, in a way. It’s just not simple, and however ready to bear vegetables or flowers the plants may appear, and however gorgeous the pictures are on the seed packets, somebody’s going to have to get their hands dirty, bend that back more than a few times, and give care and attention to the garden. There’s no way around it — a bountiful garden is the result of a great deal of hard work. And yet we dig and till and cultivate in numerous ways, finding satisfaction in connecting with the natural environment, and being reminded every spring of the beauty and richness of God’s creation.
In searching for a biblical connection to these rather rambling ideas, I was led to the part of the creation story quoted above, and I thought, “Well, here it is. God planted the first garden and placed Adam in it. We are made in God’s image, so no wonder we are compelled to garden.” That’s obviously more than a little oversimplified, but the image of a garden as a place where life began is both beautiful and meaningful. The Lutheran Study Bible tells us that in verse 15, in which the man was to till and keep the garden, the word “keep” can also be translated “serve”, as in being responsible for the care of the earth.
Our gardens provide us with those life lessons we need to learn and re-learn, as we see tiny, dry seeds become a riot of color or part of a delicious meal, and as we appreciate all over again that miracle that is life and growth.
We are truly blessed to live in a land of such richness and beauty. May we serve it well, as we enjoy and benefit from its bounty, and give our thanks to the “Master Gardener”.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers