Culture • Christianity & Culture
Waking to the Morning Light
Morning glory.
The grapes of wrath have come and gone from the San Joaquin Valley, but hopes and dreams, justice and mercy, loves and longings are still being worked out, day by day, year after year. Heaven has not yet come to earth– even in the Golden Valley of the Golden State.
But there are signposts in this strange but beautiful land. Good people still do good work on this good land. With its sunshine, deep, rich soil, and water– sometimes water –anything and everything grows here. Melons, safflower, almonds, carrots, oranges, and so much more, including cattle by the thousands. A cornucopia of crops.
Most of us who walk into our Safeways, Von’s, Krogers, Giants and Giant Eagles, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, HEBs, and more, all across America, never ever imagine that our food is grown by someone somewhere. We simply assume that the shelves will be full of our daily desires.
But of all that I don’t know about life and the world, I remember to remember what I’ve always known, growing up where I grew up, that somewhere men and women have awakened to the morning light, taken up their vocations one more day– and in working to care for their land, bring food to our tables.
That is a gift.