"the garden"

We're offering this movie to the teens tonight. It's an Academy award nominated documentary called "The Garden." About the largest urban garden in the country, and the legal battle to keep it from being sold and destroyed. Lots of surprising twists, and inside looks at the hidden maneuvering of both politicians and community activists.

If you want to see it for yourself, don't read further...

It's obvious that the filmmaker supports the farmers, who are lower income and mostly Latino. Their gardening is very impressive. And their legal and political fight against the secret deals that sold the land are impressive also. They almost stop the sale in the courts, and then when that fails they are able to use the press and new influential friends to raise over 16 million to pay the asking price for the land.

But, as in any war, there are costs. Serious disagreements within the group of farmers cause them to turn against some of their own, in order to have a better chance of winning against the developer. And then, when against all odds they somehow managed to get the money to buy the land, the developer won't sell. He has been so angered by the battle in the courts and the press that he won't even take their money (even though he would profit over $10 million). The garden is bulldozed and nothing is built on the site.

I see it as an example of the forceful approach, of how even those who are right (and who are the "empowered" under-dogs) can destroy their own cause by making a power struggle of it. So that animosity and conflict is only increased, and no one wins.

In contrast, we see Jesus never using human power to force people, not even to make them do the right thing or prevent them from doing wrong. Power and force hardens hearts, like it hardened the heart of the developer in the movie. Vulnerability and love softens hearts and encourages a true, voluntary change of heart. Which is what Jesus wanted.