This month is a good time to be thinking about a spot of gardening.
You may have noticed that the Bible opens with a story of a garden. It closes with another garden. The first garden is intended to convey an idea of God's original creation. It requires no work until mankind messes’ things up. The closing garden also requires no work. It is intended to convey an idea of God's new creation and offers us a picture of heaven.
All the examples of agriculture and horticulture, which appear in the Bible between those two, require much work and considerable sweat.
And that is our experience today if we have a garden to maintain.
Now, you may want to say: "but I only have a window box" or perhaps "only a couple of pot plants". Even owners of pot plants have some work to do. However, I am going to encourage you to be a bit more ambitious, and to use the month to deal with a number of things.
Firstly deal with the weeds.
Weeds - Weed out gossip. Weed out laziness. Weed out indifference. Weed out pride.
Then plant five rows of peas - patience, peace, promptness, politeness and prayer.
And five rows of lettuces - Let us be faithful. Let us be loving. Let us be useful. Let us be trustful. Let us be grateful.
And then the turnips - Turn up in time. Turn up with a smile. Turn up with a new idea. And turn up with new determination.
And if you wonder at the source of all this gardening advice, apparently it derives from an anonymous Kiltegan Father. I wish you happy gardening!
