Jeremy L. Berg

Our first born is named Peter. This means, among other things, that we’ve been given many copies of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit books. I can’t count how many times I’ve read the tale of that fluffy, nosey rabbit sneaking into Farmer McGregor’s garden only to steal a carrot and barely escape with his life.

While Beatrix Potter can provide a nice bedtime story, she may not be the best source of moral and theological truth. I am preparing a series a teachings on “Soul Gardening” and tracing the theme of gardening throughout the Bible. I recently saw Peter Rabbit’s world in a whole new way that highlights the spiritual and moral confusion of our day.

Here’s what I mean. When we read Peter Rabbit’s exploits into Farmer McGregor’s garden, Potter has told the story in a way that makes that cute, fluffy little bunny the protagonist and Farmer McGregor ends up…