The Misson House and The Christian Health Center

What's In A Name?

by Doug Harvey, chaplain, Christian Health Center

As young people began to pour in, residents and staff alike questioned and watched to see just what was happening outside The Neighborhood. People were pointing at things that would later be gone and at things that were not there yet. Administrators were telling construction people what would need to go and what was hoped to be. Men and women from EDGE OUTREACH were directing youth as to what needed to happen. People were praying on the patio and young people were coming in and out of the doors visiting with residents and making people smile. Some were painting the patio and some were painting fingernails. Youngsters were digging dirt and building a retaining wall while still others were playing guitars and singing. It was as if a slice of heaven had made its way toThe Christian Health Center or in the words from the Gospel of Matthew, "the kingdom of heaven has come near."

As this piece of heaven received its adornment of shrubs and stones and flowers, it was time to give it a name. It was decided to have a contest. In one weeks time, there were 64 entries. The judges narrowed the decision to four and finally agreed on Linda Gidron's idea, The Edge of Eden Garden. This is what she had to say about how she came up with that name:

"I was thinking of something spiritual to name the garden. I thought of the garden of Eden and I thought of heaven. So, I put it all together, EDGE OUTREACH that put the garden together is like a piece of heaven. There is a scripture that mentions using your hands while you can and I hear some of the residents here say, 'I wish I could use my hands to do such and such." That is just what the EDGE group did. It came to me, The Edge of Eden Garden — It's like a piece of heaven."

The pictures on this page are from the dedication service, September 13, 2007. Click on the the photo to see more.