Preserving Nature and Reviving Faith

Photo courtesy of MACC

Numerous Unificationists of all ages came together for a fun gardening service project and youth revival program in Maryland in late May. The collaborative effort — a project of the Mid-Atlantic Community Church (MACC), HJIFUS, YAYAM, CARP and YCLC — was held at the MACC property in Gambrills with some 120 participants.

“The project’s theme, ‘God, Humans and Nature,’ [recognizes] we are becoming a new people of  prayer and gratitude as we convey God’s original love and appreciation to all things in the sacred natural world,” said Gregg Jones, MACC’s garden director and HJIFUS outreach director. “With this heart, humanity will overcome the ignorance, greed, and selfishness that is causing our current environmental issues.”

Participants spent the first half of the day working in the garden on the MACC property. Small teams took on different responsibilities, including planting flowers in raised beds and squash in soil mounds, painting rocks and recycled wood, shoveling designated areas, and tending to kale in a raised produce bed. 

“My role was to lead the girls in the garden work,” said one volunteer. “I could see the young girls enjoying shoveling the dirt, it was like they were lifting their stress. As they were weeding, they were talking very sweetly together. It was wonderful to be there with them. It was much more than just an external activity, [the girls] were coming out of themselves and finding their own value.” 

At the same time, a team of guys prepared some scrapped deck wood for painting and reuse in building compost bins and raised beds. “We appreciate working in nature ... because we can see that something is [growing] and we are grateful to make a contribution,” shared a volunteer from CARP. 

Photo courtesy of MACC

By mid afternoon, participants switched gears for a special interfaith youth revival program, which featured YCLC National Director Joshua Holmes, Rev. Ernest Patton, FFWPU USA Southeast regional director, and Rev. Achille Acolaste of Capital Family Church. Faith leaders from Celestial Church of Christ, Baltimore Family Church, The Revelation Church, and Interfaith Partnership for the Chesapeake also shared messages.

“From beginning to end, each participant was called to consider that ... humanity’s separation from God has continually caused pain and agony to the creation, as stated in the book of Romans 8:19,” said Jones. “Humanity has caused great grief to God and to one another as human beings ... [but] we are now living in the time where we are realizing God’s original hope for us to live as filial sons and daughters and families.”

Caring for nature while learning more about its interconnectivity with human beings was inspiring for many participants. “The garden project was such a joyful collaboration of all ages,” said a volunteer from MACC. “The elementary kids laughed as they played with the worms and tried to manage their big shovels. The college students worked tirelessly to level the soil for planting. The experienced gardeners taught and guided the many hands as the flower beds were planted — [it was] a glorious sight!”   

For other participants, the camaraderie of the group throughout the event was uplifting and left a lasting impression. “The day was such a huge success,” said another volunteer from MACC. “We completed many things in the garden that could not be done by man alone. God used his people and everyone worked well together.”  

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