Hey y'all. Clara here. I spent last week in Nashville, TN enjoying the company of volunteers, spring in the south, and some sweet tea. Above is the one and only picture I took while on this trip, displaying gorgeous a gorgeous blooming magnolia. (Unfortunately the picture was taken on my cell phone, and really isn't that great... but you get the point; it's spring in Tennessee!) I'm impatiently awaiting the blooms of spring here in Chicagoland.
My reason for visiting Tennessee was to attend a Volunteers Exploring Vocation (VEV) event. This gathering was comprised of 50 volunteers from all over the US and representing Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Mission Year, Mennonite Volunteer Service, Episcopal Service Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, PCUSA Young Adult Volunteer Service, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, UCC Young Adult Service Communities, Catholic Volunteers, Christian Appalachian Project, L'Arche USA, and of course, Brethren Volunteer Service. I was unaware that there were this many volunteer organizations and was thrilled to meet other volunteers and share stories of community and service.
During our week we heard talks from Vanderbilt's School of Divinity and from other mission leaders in the Nashville area. We had elective sessions on everything from the practice of praying in a labyrinth, to analyzing dreams as a spiritual practice, to learning about Tennesseans' Against the Death Penalty. We also had small group sessions to discuss some of the the ideas we had heard about and to discuss discernment as peers.
Although the entire week was great, I took the most away from hearing the story of Becca Stevens. Becca is a Episcopal priest who founded Magdalene and Thistle Farms.
Magdalene is a recovery program designed to take women just out of jail, or off the streets who are prostitutes and addicts. The women stay at the home for two years, free of charge, and live by principles based on a loving community.Magdalene is named after Mary Magdalene, who anointed Jesus's feet with oil, who was one of the first to discover that the stone had been removed and that Jesus' body was gone, who was the first to preach the truth that Jesus had risen. 15 years after founding Magdalene, Becca's voice is still full of emotion and passion as she describes the importance of Mary Magdalene and the women of Magdalene to Jesus.
Thistle Farms is run by the women in the Magdalene program. The women hand make body care products like lotion, lip balm, body butter and sell them as a non-profit business. One of the most renowned products is their Geranium Spray. Working through a partnership with abused women in Rwanda who collect the geranium oil, the women of Magdalene market the spray as a natural bug repellant. Thistle Farms also sells paper products made partially from the blossom of the thistle.
While in Nashville, we had the opportunity to visit the building that serves as the home of the Thistle Farms plant and store. Here we met some of the women of Magdalene and were fortunate to share in their opening devotion circle. We heard incredible stories of addiction and recovery and testimonies to the power of God. It was incredible to share our pains and sorrows with each other and to so intimately relate with these women.
One of the reasons I was so struck by this mission was the image that it portrayed. While it seemed that most in my group had no particular feeling or affinity toward the thistle, seeing it as any old weed, I was different. I have experienced the thistle, and I despise it. I cannot count the hours I have spent under the hot summer sun with a machete in hand, chopping down thistles. Thistles are ever prolific weeds who find their way into my pastures and hayfields. In an effort to prevent the spread and continued growth of thistles on my farm, we spray an herbicide and and attempt to chop down all thistles before they bloom. Despite our efforts, the thistles always seem to prevail. So, why would an organization claim, and love such a plant?
"Thistles grow on the streets and alleys where the women of Magdalene walked. Considered a weed, they have a deep root that can shoot through concrete and survive drought. And in spite, of their prickly appearance, their royal and soft purple center makes the thistle a mysterious and gorgeous flower. Being a Thistle Farmer means the world is our farm, and that we choose to love the parts of creation that others have forgotten or condemned." - thistlefarms.org
It is this image, of the thistle as a lost person waiting to be loved, that has changed my opinion of thistles forever. So, while I'm sure I will still be assigned the duty of chopping thistles out of the pasture, I will do it with the knowledge that the thistle is indeed beautiful and represents something much more, and my least favorite job will be done with a better understanding of love.
To learn more about Thistle Farms or to purchase some of the great products made by the women of Magdalene visit: www.thistlefarms.org
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