Every now and then you will hear of someone having a “green thumb”. This doesn’t mean that their thumb is literally green but rather that they are exceptionally successful in caring for plants. My wife has a “green thumb”. Where ever we have lived, either in the CNMI or in Erie, Pauline has planted a garden, growing both fruits, vegetables and flowers. People walk by our yard to look at the flowers, take pictures and smell the roses. Our vegetables and fruit trees usually produce more food than we can eat and much of it is given away to family, friends and neighbors. Others in the neighborhood have gardens and plant flowers but no one begins to approach the abundance and beauty that characterizes Pauline’s garden. Some people have given up on their effort to compete with Pauline, simply saying that she has a “green thumb” and they don’t.
Does Pauline have some mystical or magical gift, a “green thumb” that causes her garden to be so productive and beautiful? Perhaps, but I think not. During the spring and summer Pauline spends hours in her garden. She cultivates and fertilizes the soil, carefully plants the new flowers or vegetables, keeps them watered, weeds the garden, and removes the leaf eating bugs. Occasionally a neighbor will offer advice on the care of plants. Pauline will listen, thank them and then usually ignore what they said, if it is contrary to what she had learned back in the islands or over her decades of gardening.
The secret to Pauline’s “green thumb” is plenty of hard work. Her garden is more successful than any other garden in the neighborhood because she puts more time and effort into her garden than anyone else in the neighborhood. She has also built up enough experience over the years to know what her plants need and how to care for them effectively.
Knowledge and dedicated effort usually produce good results, not just in gardening but in most other efforts as well. Over the years I’ve noticed that one of the keys to marriages that last is the couple putting in enough time and effort, spending time with one another, doing things together. It doesn’t even have to be “quality time”. Research has shown that just literally spending time with one another is effective in strengthening marriages. The same principle works with one’s children as well. Spending time with your children, doing activities with them, telling them stories all of these contribute to children who grow up reasonably happy and able to stay out of serious trouble. Life brings its challenges but investing the effort in your relationships with your spouse and children tends to result in healthier and more resilient people who can deal with life’s challenges.
The second reading a few Sundays ago was from 1 Corinthians 9:16-19. “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.”
Paul is talking about his “green thumb”. Paul wasn’t talking about gardening but rather about growing Christians. He was speaking of his calling to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the whole world. Not only does he proclaim Jesus, but he nurtures the new believers in their faith. He was very successful in starting new Christian communities and bringing people to faith in Christ. He didn’t just whirl into town, put on a revival show and move on to the next town. He helped new believers to understand what it means to be a Christian. He stuck around for months, even years, so that he could carefully instruct the new believers and nurture them in their faith. He did this in a way that makes it easy for the new Christians to understand. He presented the information in a way to which the audience could relate. To the weak he became weak. He became a slave to all. He did what was necessary to share the Gospel message with all and to have it sink into the new believer. While he ministered to the people willingly and freely, he described his ministry as stewardship.
In Greco-Roman society the wealthy and powerful often had stewards to manage their affairs. The steward was something of a business manager for the owner and an administrative assistant. The owner would give the steward responsibility to handle the day to day transactions of operating the business and trust the steward to do a good job. The steward then oversaw the work of the other employees/servants.
Wealthy families might also have a steward to help the owner’s wife manage the day to day affairs of operating the villa where the family lived, which could be a rather complicated responsibility, as there was a great deal of socializing and other activities that frequently brought guests into the home. A larger home might include farm acreage to help feed the family and their servants and that required oversight as well.