Planting the seed of hope

Dear friends

Audrey Hepburn once famously said, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” 

As Lent began, I planted my seed trays with various favourites.  Now I am looking forward to planting out what will become a riot of colour in our garden.  A parable of Easter, perhaps?

In the beginning God made heaven and earth.  In six days, it was complete.  At its heart was a delightful garden, a place of beauty and fruitfulness.

On the seventh day God rested, and that’s when all hell broke loose.  Adam found himself in that garden.  He had a simple choice: the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  His choice led to death, and subsequent generations knew both good and evil.  Greed and violence persist to this day.

So what has this to do with gardening, or Easter?

Throughout Lent we have been journeying with Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, to his appointment with the Cross.  There he died a lonely and painful death – just another heroic martyr?

But Easter brings a totally new perspective.

This death was no martyrdom.  Jesus said, “The seed must die”, and any gardener knows what happens when you plant a seed.  This tiny, shrivelled husk looks nothing like what will emerge to blossom and fruit.  It was in the garden tomb that the seed was buried.

On that first Easter dawn, Mary was searching the garden for Jesus’ body.  But this seed had emerged into a new existence, and was almost unrecognisable.  Bumping into Jesus, Mary thought him the gardener, until his voice revealed her mistake.  She was overjoyed and privileged to be the first witness of the resurrection of her Lord.

But was it a mistake?  Could it be that Jesus is not only the dying seed but also the Gardener?  He plants the seeds of hope in us, His garden of delight.

His seeds will blossom and fruit.  At Easter, the eighth and final day of creation, all is made anew and death has been conquered.  Like gardeners, we believe in tomorrow, in God’s future, when all hopes are realised and we are united with Love Himself.

Our prayer:

Finish then thy new creation:

Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in thee.

Alleluia!

Paul