Hastings: Longing for Eden

“Then I saw new heavens and a new earth … (with a) river of life-giving water … On either side of the river grew the trees of life which produce fruit twelve times a year … Their leaves serve as medicine to heal the nations. There will no longer be any curse." — Revelation 21:1, 22:1-3 The Inclusive Bible

The imagery of the garden seems written on the human soul. Scripture begins with a garden called Eden where the Holy One walked and talked with people. People, plants and animals lived in perfect harmony. But after people willfully broke this harmony, they were driven from Eden and experienced frustrated desire and difficult labor.

Throughout the biblical story, people tried to recreate Eden. David, the shepherd-king, wrote of green pastures, still waters and places of goodness and mercy which could be enjoyed forever when one is shepherded by the Holy One. David’s son Solomon established a peaceful reign which included Edenic gardens that were famous throughout the world. Years later, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for a restored Eden where “they may all be one.” The biblical story ends with a vision of a new Eden where there are no more thorns and thistles, no more pain, sorrow or tears.

The imagery of Eden is reflected in a love of gardening. After the isolation of the pandemic, seeds were snatched up, and stores quickly ran out of plants and gardening supplies. It seems everyone wanted to share in Dorothy Frances Gurney’s vision: “With the kiss of the sun for laughter and the song of the birds for mirth, one is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.”

When loved ones die, families bury them in memorial gardens amid flowers and trees. Neighbors and friends create gardens with words of remembrance. And an enduring hymn, “In the Garden,” is often sung. When this hymn is omitted from new hymn books, some parishioners paste it inside the front cover. Many have said this hymn about one-on-one talks with the Holy One in an Eden-like setting has helped them endure difficult times.

Today in a world of misinformation and wars, famines and floods, inequality and greed, there remains a longing for Eden. All around the world people are planting and nurturing seeds of creativity, caring and sharing. Someday this patchwork of little Edens will merge, and all will be one.

The Rev. Celia M. Hastings has a master’s degree in religious education from Western Theological Seminary in Holland. She is author of “The Wisdom Series” and “The Undertaker’s Wife.”

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Hastings: Longing for Eden