by Rosie Snow
“Self-organization is a process where some form of overall order arises from local interactions between parts of an initially disordered system. The process can be spontaneous when sufficient energy is available, not needing control by any external agent.”
– From the Wikipedia entry on self-organizing systems.
Science teaches us that many systems in physics, chemistry, biology, and even human society are self-organizing–emerging from chaos into order by some principle of attraction and positive feedback. This might seem incompatible with what Christianity teaches about God’s role in the Creation, unless you imagine that perhaps God works within this principle. That perhaps Love is what brings separate beings into beautiful, generative patterns of connection.
Over the last few weeks of EARTHCHURCH, I have started to see this principle in action. While I have done some of the initial organizing for our new gardens, an incredible abundance is emerging from the connections within Wesley’s community. People have offered knowledge and expertise, wisdom and inspiration, and a wealth of resources: seeds, wood chips and mulch, finished compost, tools, labor, and so much more. I never imagined there would be such an outpouring, and it really feels as though it is driven by love.
I’m excited to see this process continue over the next few months. Please mark your calendars for two big workdays, where we will start to bring the gardens from imagination into reality: February 29th, 9-1pm, and March 28th, 9-4pm (these work days may go faster if we can get a lot of people out there). Hope to see you there!
With gratitude, Rosie Snow, Director of Christian Discipleship