Dearly Beloved,
I once gave my parent's keys to a stranger.
I ran back into the lobby of our church building after grabbing something from the van and ran up --to whom I thought was my mom-- and handed the keys off to her. It was someone else.
Have you ever mistaken someone for someone else?
I am fascinated by the time Jesus was mistaken for someone else, immediately following His resurrection.
“Mary Magdalene turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
but she did not know it was Jesus…supposing him to be the gardener.”
John 20:14,15
God was depicted as a gardener in creation. In the resurrection of Jesus, we find God, the gardener, walking in His new creation, renewing His creation.
As someone said, "Jesus is a gardener! A gardener cultivating resurrection life in all who will come to him. ... The gardener metaphor is beautiful and faithfully depicts the process of salvation in our lives. ... That Jesus is a gardener with a good heart and a green thumb should change your perspective on life. I promise you that your life is not so messed up that Jesus can’t nurture you into a flourishing state. This is the good news!"
Isn't it splendid that we host a Community Garden on our property? What a gesture of welcome and a picture of hope for our neighbourhood. What a tangible (and edible!) experience of God's good work in human lives - offered to everyone.
I am so proud of the initiative and leadership of Erin Gregory and Esther Stubbs, who cultivated the idea of our Community Garden several years ago. They have nurtured it into life and fruitfulness ever since.
And perhaps, like a seed-bearing garden plant, we should also consider the potential of multiplication! We may have the opportunity to expand our garden space further in the future, to serve more people in our surrounding community. Maybe one day we can build an outdoor gathering space for the gardeners we host, for meals, listening, and conversations.
Right now, we have the opportunity to coordinate some connections and get-togethers for the gardeners that use our property. Perhaps someone reading this today would like to consider helping as a "Social Coordinator" for our Community Garden? You don't even need to be a gardener, but maybe you have a knack for connecting people and enjoy helping to organize simple events? If we might be describing you or you'd like to learn more, let our office know or get in touch with Erin or Esther. They'd love to hear from you.
Who knows, you may help others in our community discover Jesus the gardener, too.
Pastor Mike