From Filth to Feast

How do we actually redeem, restore, replenish, and renew the earth?

It often means cleaning up litter and reconditioning compacted, depleted soil in an urban setting. Countless books, lectures, discussions, forums, and even summits on eco-theology have taken place since the 1960's and the overall situation is worse than ever. Indeed, the climate change crisis looms ever closer. Eco-Chaplaincy puts the theories into practice for the sake of Creation as a whole.

Above: Tiny, unripe strawberries peek out from the yard waste used as natural mulch

It takes patience, trash, yard waste, seeds, and inexpensive hand tools to transform blight into a vegetarian feast. While seeds are readily available from the fruits and vegetables we eat, buying them for pennies per package is a more straightforward solution for new gardeners. The challenge is persuading the exhausted, stressed, and often frightened residents to step outside.

On the Saturday before Memorial Day, a 14-year-old boy attended a block party at Orange Mound Park wearing shorts, flip-flops, and an automatic assault rifle. Constant fear leaves community members tired and frustrated; having a good day after a terrifying night is hard. Generations of littering, even opening their car doors in traffic to toss waste have left the area in a desperate situation.

In the face of gun violence, many urban residents are worried about spending time outdoors. This makes it hard to overcome food injustice. The neighborhood Aldi shut down after a short while thanks to excessive crime. So what can we do?

Transforming Houses of Faith into safe havens for community gardens is an essential task for Eco-Congregations

Hope is renewed when ready access to nutritious food is equally available. Sometimes the best thing the church can do for the community is share their space. Many houses of faith in the USA are situated on arable acreage like Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church where our new gardens will kick-off in October 2023.

Homeowners can create a beautiful garden to supply most if not all of their fruit and vegetable needs on a very small patch of land. Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Tower Garden, a new study found that close to 8 in 10 Americans have tried some form of gardening. This nation is surely embracing the idea of ending earth-crushing extraction farming. Newly formed skills combined with inflation/shrink-inflation at the grocery store can help reduce the cost of food. When the extra crops are shared with the community.

The efforts of community members like Mike and Karen Minnis at Landmark Farmer's Market mean nutrient-dense foods are accessible. The steps are small, and the work often feels futile; over time, change happens. Their work is bearing fruit, like the strawberries bursting forth from little more than rubbish. The change cannot come fast enough as we brace for another long, hot summer. Yet, as servants in the field, we know that "(for) God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." (2 Tim 1:7) So we press on with small moments of hope spurring us to the finish line.