Why GNOWFGLINS?

Share

Pin It

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all life prospered.

And “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. Out of the ground the Lord made every tree that is pleasant to sight and good for food. A river passed through Eden to water the garden, and departed there to became the four riverheads of the Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel and Euphrates. And the Lord God took man and put him in the garden to tend and keep it.”

“Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’” – Genesis 1:1, 1:26-28; 2:8-11, and 2:15.

This was the first command given by God to man, and it contains a very bold message, but one that is often overlooked. What is obvious, however, is that the garden was a protected place made by God for man’s delight and pleasure. It satisfied man’s every desire. It was a perfect paradise, entrusted to the stewardship of man.

What is less obvious is that Eden was special. It was a unique place with a distinct boundary. And, God did not plan for man to remain inside Eden – tending only to keep it. Remember the parable of the talents, where the man was given a sum to invest and multiply? The lesson is the same here. In Eden, man was meant to learn from his experiences in the garden and to apply his knowledge to the lands beyond. God instructed man to subdue the wild places beyond Eden by planting more gardens. And, man’s gardens were to model the same natural laws set down by God. They should be good and beneficial to all life, as Eden was. Since man was created in the image of God, he was blessed with the will and creativity to do this exceptionally well.

Our family embraces this responsibility to subdue the wild places of the world and to rule over its creatures, not as profit takers but as faithful stewards. And our example comes from God and the Garden of Eden. Today, we strive to plant our own gardens: protected places of refuge with all the joys and pleasures that this world has to offer – natural habitats for plants and animals, sustainable systems of food production, and shelters integrated with the cycles of the sun, wind and water. GNOWFGLINS is the beginning of this journey. But there is much more to GNOWFGLINS than planting gardens.

The first of all commandments is this: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) Our family observes this command right down to the food we eat. Since God identified what is food for our bodies, we honor Him by consuming these foods. We call them God’s Natural, Organic, Whole Foods.

The second commandment is similar: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) Our food choices not only affect how we look and feel, but they also impact the well-being of others. Foods Grown Locally and harvested In Season are not only more nutritious for us, but by choosing them, we support the efforts of small food producers in our own community.

So, why GNOWFGLINS? Because eating the GNOWFGLINS way is our family’s expression of love for the Creator, our fellow man and the lands God entrusted to us.

If you share these sentiments, help us to spread the word of GNOWFGLINS, and remember this verse as you honor God with all you do:

Do you share our sentiments? Why or why not? What kind of gardens are you planting? What do think of the idea of our food choices being a means of loving God and neighbor?