Jumping through Life: Lessons Learned from Jumping Rope with the Bouncing Bulldogs

THE COLUMN

God, Farm, and Community

By Alec Rittgers, Middle School History and Bible Teacher

On Tuesday, October 15, Trinity’s seventh grade swapped the classroom for a farm. Students donned worn-in sweatshirts, grass-stained jeans, and eager smiles as they arrived at Spring Forest Farm. Dr. Elaine Heath, the Abbess of the monastic community that lives at the farm in Hillsborough, welcomed the grade and told them about the farm’s mission. “Spring Forest supports refugee resettlement through sponsorships, temporary housing, and an ESL program. We also donate fresh produce to refugee families, host a range of spiritual formation ministries, children's programs, and much more.” Trinity’s seventh graders, who have started to wrestle with how to live out the Scripture’s many admonitions to love the foreigner, participated in the day-to-day, mundane tasks that are required to enable the farm to carry out its mission. Pulling weeds, painting decks, washing the farm’s shuttle bus, and repairing part of the barn are unremarkable on the surface. Within the farm's mission and Trinity's commitment to nurturing students as intellectual, moral, and aesthetic beings, these ordinary acts take on profound significance.

Returning from summer break, seventh-grade students in Old Testament classes revisited their comprehensive understanding of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. This review focused on key sections in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, highlighting laws on property ownership (Leviticus 25:23-28), welcoming foreigners (Leviticus 19:33-34), and caring for widows (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Students explored how the God of Israel commanded His people to protect and show compassion to the vulnerable, including foreigners.

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Seventh grade students pull weeds in the sweet potato fields at Spring Forest Farm.
 

After reviewing the Mosaic Law’s instructions, the book of Ruth provided students with an opportunity to see how the Israelites lived out these commands through a narrative that took place amidst a less-than-glamorous period of Israel’s history, the time of the judges. In the story, the Israelite Boaz provides food for the Moabite Ruth and allows her to glean in his field. Boaz’s offer to Ruth to glean with other women also welcomes her into an existing community of those whom we might today describe as refugees. Through Boaz’s initial act of kindness and Naomi’s boldness, Ruth, who had seemingly lost everything, came to be included not only in Israel’s immediate community, but also in the lineage of Jesus (see Matthew 1:5). When the seventh-grade students encountered Ruth’s story, it was a joy to see them make connections between Scripture and their work on the farm. 

Spring Forest Farm serves the refugee community by distributing community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes filled with fruits, vegetables, and eggs from the farm. Once the boxes are filled at the farm, they are delivered to designated locations throughout the Triangle. Refugees experiencing food insecurity and others who have paid for a box subscription can pick up a box in Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, or Raleigh.
 

"I was changed by this field trip experience at Spring Forest through learning that even little things or chores make a vast impact on many people coming here from other countries..."

As students reflected on their experiences, they quickly realized that the farm and refugee community were not the only beneficiaries of their work: the students began to see the ways that they themselves were changed as a result of their experiences. Maggie Joyce shared, “I found that I was able to work more diligently and to do my best because I was doing the work for others rather than myself.” After harvesting sweet potato leaves, Emelia McMurray reflected that “at Spring Forest we helped people by gathering some of the ingredients for dishes that might make refugees feel more at home. By doing this work at Spring Forest we felt more comfortable…helping others, which God calls us to do.”

In addition to harvesting, students assisted with other projects that help the farm run smoothly. One group of students painted a pantry that is used to store food for the Wednesday community lunches. Charlotte Mansfield found a tremendous amount of meaning in this task:

Even though I got covered in paint from head to toe, the experience was totally worth it. I was changed by this field trip experience at Spring Forest through learning that even little things or chores make a vast impact on many people coming here from other countries, and I also learned that it’s fun doing work with classmates—many hands make light work!

The task of painting may seem like something that only changes the finish of a wooden pantry, but painting in community, for a community, infuses meaning into a seemingly mundane and rote task.

The work that Trinity’s seventh grade engaged in provided immediate, practical help for the farm and the community it serves. The folks at the farm expressed their gratitude for the cheerful, eager, and selfless help they received. However, as I reflected more about the day at the farm, I realized that by serving, students discovered something about themselves. While the students may not use these words, I believe that they are starting to grasp that being a citizen of the kingdom of God is not a passive citizenship. Quite the opposite, in fact: Citizenship in the kingdom of God should lead us to a life of engagement in the Church’s mission. I am grateful that by our partnering with Spring Forest Farm, a local community could be served in dignifying and loving ways. It is my hope and prayer that for Trinity students, this experience will serve as an invitation to a lifelong pattern of kingdom-oriented service.