Why do we garden? What difference can we make?

This morning I was shown this terrifying web site…. and even if the figures are as much as 50% wrong they are still overwhelming.

https://www.theworldcounts.com/

Every second the world population increases by one, staggering numbers of resources are consumed and waste dumped. It is the kind of web site that could easily lead us to despair. However….

This morning I also gathered with others in Brading in our graveyard, community garden and ‘half acre field’ as we cleared the land in preparation for sewing a wildflower meadow, built a Berm and Swale and began to open up an access for people to get into the field. As we worked we chatted about events that will ‘get people together and outside’ and how this land is a resource that we long to share; land held in common

The Permaculture technique of Berm and Swale created to capture water so it doesn’t run off down the slope.

A trench dug, course woody matter added to the trench and the soil mounded up to the downward side. then cardboard and soil on top creating a fibrous drain that captures the water.

WHY do this when the statistics are all against us? What is the point? What difference can we possibly make?

I feel that the most important thing that the Christian religion has to offer at this time is an answer to these questions; it is not THE answer it is just a response gathered from its heritage and faith. The church has a long long way to go before this answer is coherent or universally accepted even within the wider worldwide congregation, we are just beginning. However the ecochurch journey that we are on and this blog, which documents all we do locally, is in some way the un-articulated answer that we give by the actions we do; the praxis of our answer in the ways in which we sacrifice and care.

This theologian, Denis Edwards, which I have recently discovered has some very deep and interesting insights and is a well respected leader in this area. I have just started it and I am going to read this book alongside our book club book this Lent if anyone would like to join me.

Just this small section below gives a creative insight…..

So why do anything, why garden and tend and grow things, why build community and practice loving one another? …. because if we start now with passion, 29yrs may just be long enough!