Second Church Steps

Do you remember that everything looks bigger as a child?   My grandfather’s house was on the top of a large hill.  It had a garden when I was growing up; it seemed HUGE to me . He had pear and apple trees.  He grew corn, green beans, lima beans, tomatoes (of course), black eyed peas, and potatoes among other things.   Even though my grandfather was blind, he had been gardening for so long that he knew the plants by touch and how to sow by heart.  My grandfather grew food for his household, our family of 5, the neighbors, and plenty for the freezer .   Gardeners know it’s important to grow a “cover crop,” too.   These crops, like clover and soy beans, replenish the soil with vitamins so that vegetables will grow healthy and strong.   I do not remember my Grandfather growing a “cover crop,” but since he rotated his plants, he may have accomplished the same thing.   Nurturing and replenishing soil, planting seeds and on and ...

It doesn't matter if it is in a restaurant, at work, at home, or just about anywhere.  If you ask me, "Do you need anything?" I am probably going to respond, "World Peace." I figure the ONE time I don't ask will be the ONE time we could get it. Well, we could all use a little more peace these days. This past Spring, I was in a meeting and gave my usual respond, "World Peace." The person asking was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean by, 'World Peace'?" I have thought about this alot. Thanks to Eden Theological Seminary and Joretta Marshall in particular, I was prepared with an answer. My quick answer, "Peace is persistent relatedness in the face of a disconnect," raised more questions.  The easier answer would have been, "Shalom." At the risk of hearing from every academic library class participant I ever taught, I will use the Wikipedia definition of "Shalom." There are many, but I would...