Greetings, friends,
This is my final official newsletter as Lead Curator of Baraza Media Lab. And today being Easter Sunday, I thought I’d share a reflection grounded in my own faith tradition.
The other day, I was reminded recently of something I hadn’t thought about in years: The Bible begins in a garden, but ends in a city.
In Genesis, the world opens in the lushness of Eden—untamed, relational, full of mystery. A place of walking, naming, listening.
By the time we reach Revelation, we find ourselves in a city of gold and glass—measured, structured, illuminated not by sun or moon, but by engineered light.
Even the Tree of Life—that ancient symbol of wild, divine nourishment—is now positioned along a street, feeding the order.
And I find that… profoundly sad, because in some ways I recognise that arc.
I get why that shift from intimacy to infrastructure has to happen sometimes. I’ve lived that story. Maybe you have, too.
What’s lost in the shift from garden to city is the intimacy of unplanned beauty—the slowness, the silence, the room for mystery. What’s gained is structure, clarity, permanence—a sense of arrival and control. The city shines, but perhaps it no longer surprises.
Still, I take heart in this: the garden came first. And seeds can still grow—quietly, faithfully, even beneath concrete.
In this season of transition, I’m learning not to forget the garden.
I carry it with me. I carry its memory, its softness, its wildness. And a true gardener always carries seeds in their pocket.
I’m going to write again here, sometime, soon.
In the meantime, here’s:
What I’m Reading: In keeping with the theme of this week’s newsletter, I’m reading “Christianity was ‘borderline illegal’ in Silicon Valley. Now it’s the new religion”, published by Vanity Fair.
What I’m Watching: Season 7 of Black Mirror. This is a true return to form of this iconic series. This might even be the best season yet.
What I’m Listening to: Couldn’t resist a little plug here of a conversation I had with Mamaponya Motsai, CEO of fraycollege (and one of our AMF 2.0 speakers), on creativity and innovation in media.
With all my love,
Christine Mungai