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After a long and harsh winter in Northwestern Ohio, Spring has finally sprung. It is my hope that by the time you read this you will have already been out in your gardens to till the soil and beautify our world. At the Bellavia home, we are in stage two of rejuvenating our yard and gardens. After spending the past decade working our yard in Kettering, Ohio we had grown accustomed to the maintenance of our land. It had become familiar and we knew what had to be done to keep it in good health. Now we are beginning again. We must spend time discovering what is growing where and why. We must discern what is healthy and what should be removed. We must consider what needs to be radically pruned and what needs to be uprooted. This is a difficult and tedious process, for we do not want to destroy something that is healthy and could one day add to the beauty of our part of the world.

Of course, over time we will grow accustomed to our new land. We will turn over the soil, dig in the dirt, and discover the nuances and beauty of our new home. We will be changed by the ground even as we change it to meet our needs and desires. By the time we have completed the work we will know what needs to be done. We will have learned the lessons that every good agrarian needs to learn about their land. Some of our lessons will be borne out of failure, as plants will die, and weeds flourish; others will be due to our great success.

Over time our experiences have been assisted by the wisdom of others. Our families have passed down information and knowledge. Our friends have given us a helping hand and a thoughtful pointer. We will even glean wisdom from paid professionals who we call on in times of deep distress and need. These lessons will then be passed on to our children. They will learn from assisting us in the daily work around the house, and they will grow in wisdom and knowledge for themselves as the lessons learned from the work in the garden help to equip them for life itself.

Philosophers and teachers have long believed that examples from the garden can help us to better understand life. In the movie, Being There, Peter Sellers (in his final role) played a noble and pure (but ignorant) character named Chance. Chance is the gardener/slave for a wealthy family and when his master dies, he is left alone to discover the world outside of his own limited experience. Chance (who is mistakenly identified as Chauncey Gardiner by his upper class patrons) has a very simple take on life. When questioned about any situation he refers to his own realm of experience and expertise; his garden. His simple truisms from the garden are interpreted as the words of a genius by his benefactors, and by the close of the movie, they are seriously considering this uneducated, illiterate, and painfully naïve gardener as the next President of the United States. The movie closed with a shot of Chance walking on water.

The film’s conclusion seems to imply that Chance is a Christ figure. Perhaps his simplicity is indeed genius, and we are the ones who are ignorant. Yet, however you interpret the film; it is interesting that Jesus did indeed know a thing or two about gardening. Often times he spoke of the natural world in order to make a deeper point to his disciples about the things of God.

In the parable of the Sower and the seeds, Jesus spoke of the need to plant many seeds in order that some may grow. This continues to inform the church that we must be bold and perhaps even excessive with how we spread the word of God in Jesus Christ if we want people to respond. How many seeds must be sown in order that one plant grows to the point of bearing fruit? If we know that the odds are against us, then it prompts us to be generous with our sharing of the seeds of truth.

Jesus spoke of pruning, which is the act of “cutting-off” a part of the plant that is dead or dying, so that the entire plant has a better opportunity to live and bear fruit. He told his followers that a branch that does not bear fruit is of no value to the tree and would be cut off and thrown into the fire. He instructed them to be true to the word of God (like the branches remain close to the vine) so that they might bear fruit.

Jesus also spoke of the need for a seed to die in the ground so that a wonderful tree might grow. This not only explained the need for Jesus, our Savior and the Son of God, to die on the cross so that we might live; but it also showed us that in order for anything we do to thrive we must first be willing to die to ourselves. This willingness to die to self is central to any true ministry that serves Jesus Christ. The more self-centered we are the less likely we will be willing to give up our own strength to bear new life in others.

Over the month of May we will be focusing on the gardening techniques that Jesus shared with His Church. We will see what these passages say to the modern church and decide for ourselves whether we need to heed the advice of our master gardener and personal Savior in order to once again bring beauty and life to the world around us.

Each of us can beautify our world. Please keep working in your gardens and bring to the world a greater sense of physical beauty, but do not forget to also sow seeds in the spiritual world. Plant gospel seeds in the lives of your family and friends by sharing the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Prune away the things in life that get in the way of your relationship with God. Be willing to die to your selfish desire so that people can see in you a selfless love of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Only then will we have the spiritual strength and discernment to give of ourselves so that others may experience the joy of the Lord.

May God Bless You with Abundant Growth
Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia