today the garbage man snickered at me. yes, there are garbage men. so no i'm not using that term in a derogatory way. it is simply one example of the many stares, smirks and smiles that i get while mowing the lawn.
yes, i use an old-school rotary mower. yes, i'm fine with that. no, it isn't easy. but i do it out of ethos far more than enjoyment. as i mow and contemplate the ridiculousness of this choice to enjoy the toil of using a technologically ancient tool, i'm often reminded of the poet, farmer, critic, and hopeful Christian philospher - wendell berry. of course my life on so many levels is far too "sophisticated" to even associate myself with mr. berry in practice, but at least my thoughts and sentiments are with him as he stands (many times alone) for local, economy and sensible harmony with nature over and against the socio-technological infrastructure of America's economy.
so with my rickety, head-turning lawnmower - today I salute mr. berry as he practices the way of Jesus:
"We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?"
"If you grow a garden you are going to shed some sweat, and you are going to spend some time bent over; you will experience some aches and pains. But it is in the willingness to accept this discomfort that we strike the most telling blow against the power plants and what they represent."
"Every day do something that won't compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing...Love someone who doesn't deserve it...Plant sequoias...Practice resurrection."
Amen. Practice resurrection!
