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You may remember that the other day I mentioned the pink camellia in our garden. Over the last day or so she has woken from her winter sleep and put on her new soft pink finery. Most attractive she looks standing tall with the purple aubrietia and multicoloured primula at her feet. In the breeze she nods politely to Sir Pieris opposite. He has donned his salmon pink bracts several days ago and has been waiting for her to bloom whilst the raucous red and gold wallflowers further along the border shout their approval. The beauty of God’s Creation in a few square feet of my garden! Thanks be to God.
Originally from eastern and southern Asia the ornamental variety of camellia was first seen in England in the garden of Lord Petre at Thorndon Hall, just seven miles from my home, in 1739. However, the plant is much more versatile than that. On the Indian sub-continent and in Asia the leaves of one branch of her family are processed to create that beverage without which the British Empire would fade into obscurity – tea! Another branch of her family produces a most important cooking oil for millions particularly in southern China; whilst a third branch produces an oil used for hair care in Japan. Such versatility in what we have come to know as a simple garden flower! And yet when we think of mankind we soon realise that God made us in His own image but in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and so on. Like the camellia God has given us a variety of roles to play in society. As St Paul explains in his letter to the Romans (12:4-6): 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. The simple message from this may seem to be that we should use the talents given to us wisely, but I think there is more to it than that. We are all one family ‘each member belongs to all the others’. Thus we each of us have a responsibility for all our family members. That may be a quick hug for the lonely or frightened old man going into hospital or perhaps it is compassion for those drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean to get to safety in Europe. Or maybe it is to support for those marching to seek a wage that they can actually live on. Whatever it is, we have a duty to embrace the second great commandment, to ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’
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There is a popular board game which comes out at every family gathering in many households. The simple aim is for each player to buy up as many houses as possible to rent out to those who land on the site thereby making as much money as they can and bankrupt the other players. Since the ‘money’ used is simply token money and the gain merely pieces on the board, representing houses and hotels, perhaps there is no harm in it. After all, it gets the family together laughing, joking and spending time with one another.
But what does the winner gain? He appears to have made considerable wealth at the expense of his fellow players. That seems a rather sinister, ugly, objective playing on man’s inherent greed and Jesus had something to say about that: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24 NIV But, although it’s only a game, it reflects real life, doesn’t it? In this materialistic society where it seems the rich call the shots every time, we are all driven to make as much money as we can, if possible to get a job paying more than the present one regardless of the hours that need to be worked, to get on the next step of the ladder where the material rewards are so much greater. But what effect will all those long hours spent working have on our health, our relations with our family or our relations with God? What time will we have to spend with them, to enjoy just being with them? Did you see your first born take his first steps or were you too busy filing a report that had to be in yesterday? Are we really so much better off with more money? Or is it a simple fact that like the winner of the board game what we have gained it is purely an illusion of wealth. The psalmist thought so for he said: “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.” Psalm 39:6 NIV Again Jesus said: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.” Matthew 6:28 NIV So God knows our needs and will provide for them. Of course we all need an income that we can live on and it is up to us to do what we can to ensure that those in need are helped to achieve a living wage, wherever they are. There is a popular board game which comes out at every family gathering in many households. The simple aim is for each player to buy up as many houses as possible to rent out to those who land on the site thereby making as much money as they can and bankrupt the other players. Since the ‘money’ used is simply token money and the gain merely pieces on the board, representing houses and hotels, perhaps there is no harm in it. After all, it gets the family together laughing, joking and spending time with one another.
But what does the winner gain? He appears to have made considerable wealth at the expense of his fellow players. That seems a rather sinister, ugly, objective playing on man’s inherent greed and Jesus had something to say about that: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24 NIV But, although it’s only a game, it reflects real life, doesn’t it? In this materialistic society where it seems the rich call the shots every time, we are all driven to make as much money as we can, if possible to get a job paying more than the present one regardless of the hours that need to be worked, to get on the next step of the ladder where the material rewards are so much greater. But what effect will all those long hours spent working have on our health, our relations with our family or our relations with God? What time will we have to spend with them, to enjoy just being with them? Did you see your first born take his first steps or were you too busy filing a report that had to be in yesterday? Are we really so much better off with more money? Or is it a simple fact that like the winner of the board game what we have gained it is purely an illusion of wealth. The psalmist thought so for he said: “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.” Psalm 39:6 NIV Again Jesus said: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.” Matthew 6:28 NIV So God knows our needs and will provide for them. Of course we all need an income that we can live on and it is up to us to do what we can to ensure that those in need are helped to achieve a living wage, wherever they are. Having spent the majority of my working life in the finance industry it is not surprising that I have often been asked to act as Treasurer for the various clubs and societies to which I belong. It is a very important job as one is responsible for the good husbandry of the members’ funds. Those funds must be invested wisely and spent in accordance with the rules and regulations of the club. Each year when the accounts have been prepared, they are audited to ensure they have been maintained correctly and that the balance sheet presents a fair picture of the club’s finances.
Jesus reminds us in the parable of the talents set out in Matthew 25: 14-30 that we are all treasurers of the gifts He gives us. You will remember that the master entrusts his servants with ‘talents’ i.e. his resources whilst he is away on business. Each servant takes a different approach to his share. One invests wisely and returns a profit of 100% whilst the second is more cautious so that his investments return a profit of just 50%. The third, more cautious still, digs a hole and buries his master’s money so that he does not lose anything but neither does he make a profit. So which of these three servants are we? Do we use the gifts that God gives us fully so that everyone around us can see Him in us in everything we do or say? Do we perhaps carry on our busy lives without much thought as to what God wants from us at all? Or perhaps our lives fit somewhere in between. In all three cases we still have the talents wherewith God has blessed us but what return has He gained in His investment in us? Yes, I know that God loves us warts and all, whether we recognise Him or not, but surely we owe it to Him to give Him something back for all that He has given us. Now is that time to make a conscious effort to return Him a better rate of interest than He is getting from us at present. Don’t forget there is one thing of which we can be very sure, and that is that at some stage we will all be called to present an account of our time on this earth for inspection by the Great Auditor. How will we measure up? Will He sign off our accounts? As it was such a bright sunny day yesterday I spent much of it in the garden. I introduced you to my garden last week and I expect we will return there later during the year.
A garden is a wonderful place, whether it is a place to relax with a glass of something after a hard day at the office, or a place of inspiration where one can sit with the laptop working on the latest blog or perhaps yours is the muddy patch where the lawn used to be, with goal posts chalked on the fence so that the children can practise their soccer skills whilst dreaming of playing for their country. The amazing thing is that just a few weeks ago it all seemed dead bare twigs and sticks everywhere. Now there is an exuberance of colour, of new growth, birds singing and butterflies sunning themselves on the lawn. Even more amazing is that the same thing happens year after year at this time. Every day I give thanks to God for the beauty and abundance of His Creation. But there is more to it than that. Did you know that the Hebrew word for garden is Paradise? Man was expelled from Paradise for his disobedience to God’s Will. Now by the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour he has been shown the way back for Jesus Himself said: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV) Praise the Lord! |
AuthorI am an Authorised Local Preacher in an Anglo Catholic parish church, in the Diocese of Essex UK Archives
February 2022
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