As the Northern Hemisphere moves into Summer this month, an ancient metaphor for messianic blessing comes vividly to mind. "For as the earth brings forth its sprouts," God tells his prophet Isaiah, "and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations" (Isaiah 61:11). The good news of God's divine rescue is spreading throughout the world, drawing believers into faith communities that practice what is just and right. As outsiders observe the transformed lives of people they personally know, they are positively impressed and give praise to God who brought it about. This "garden" metaphor highlights the spiritual productivity, apparently spontaneous, which is actually God's work.