From Exile to Everything Jesus Farm

This past Friday I preached at my alma mater, Texas Lutheran University, on Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles (29:4-7) and the idea that exile is a good metaphor for navigating post-Christendom mission. If that description actually gets you excited then subscribe to my other blog where I’ll post a link to the audio when it’s available.

We were able to visit some good friends of ours while in lovely Seguin. Friday evening we were treated to a delicious seasonal meal of zucchini pie, biscuits, blueberry pie and ice cream with our friends. Everything came from local farmer’s markets and farms (except the frozen Welch’s peach juice).

Saturday morning the same friends showed us to the Everything Jesus Farm outside of Seguin, home of Moo Jesus raw milk and other organic wonders. I lived in Seguin for four years and had no idea this place was around. Now, I’m a somewhat liberal male of European descent. So, I’m overly conscious of sounding racist, but I was surprised to walk into the farm’s store and find a sea of African-American faces. The pastoral picture that we tend to paint of farming does not include minorities, unless they are picking fruit. The lady that showed us around was extremely knowledgeable and intelligent. She and her husband used to be lawyers in the northeast. They gave up wealth to live the good life on the farm.

The Everything Jesus Farm also has some ministry attached to it, but I couldn’t quite figure out what. They have a certified Christian Academy that teaches the kids that live there. The people were really friendly and a joy to talk to. What I wonder is how our friends, and others, find places like this. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there is nothing like that in our area. Am I missing something?

The other thing I find extremely fascinating about people who are excited about food issues is that they do not fit ideological stereotypes. You can easily find both fundamentalist and liberal Christians that are advocating for a change in our food system. Something about this issue cuts across a lot of the dividing lines in American politics. That’s important! That’s something to sit up and take notice of. That’s the kind of thing that starts a movement…oh wait it already did.

This is why I find the idea of working on food issues so hopeful. So many people from all walks of life, religious stripes and political ideologies recognize that something very basic is wrong with the way we’ve set up the systems that run our lives… and they do run our lives. Food seems to be a kind of door into a third way beyond so many divides, where we can find solutions to what ails us. I know it’s not perfect and there will be obstacles and battles to overcome. It’s good to have hope though.

So, let’s join hands with gun-toting libertarians and feminist hippies, with runaway yuppies and leftist revolutionaries. Jesus seemed to always find a third way beyond the divides in his culture and refused to be cornered into the categories of his day. Let’s imitate him as we work toward the food revolution. Viva la comida! (is that even right? i don’t speak spanish. a little help please?)