PLANT YOUR GARDEN
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden …, Gen 2:8a
Most of us plant a garden each spring and look forward eagerly to seeing the plants and vegetables grow. Grow into things that nourish our bodies and help keep us healthy. This growing and being ready to provide nourishment is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. We need to care for the soil and provide water, sun and the nutrients required for healthy growth. This also applies for growing the spring garden in the picture. Without the Lord God planting in our souls, and without His Son working in our lives, and without our tears to water and rinse and cleanse, then these rows of peas and squash and lettuce will not grow…and flourish…and nourish…
Jesus said: “Love each other just as much as I love you” …John 13: 34
Only with Jesus help can we tend our gardens, remove the weeds of wrong thoughts and cultivate the love to share with everyone no matter what colour, or creed or differences they might have. With God’s love, we can embrace our brothers and sisters everywhere!
The above reflection and picture, written and shared by our Parish Nurse Jean MacDonald speaks so powerfully into this moment as we grieve the senseless killing of the Afzaal family this week in London; a killing motivated by anti-Muslim hate. By God’s grace may we, empowered by the Spirit, love as God loved, praying as Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…