“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in God. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

A friend of mine once described her habit of what I like to call “contemplative gardening”. When she spent time in the garden, she often found herself reflecting on God. And it isn’t hard to see why: there are so many powerful images in scripture that relate God to the garden. There’s the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Parable of the Sower, the Laborers in the Vineyard, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and so on and so forth. Jesus compares Himself to a vine, inviting His followers to consider themselves as branches. The people for whom the scriptures were originally written were no strangers to gardens. Though many lived in cities, the rural experience was not so far removed as it is today in America.

This year, with people spending more time in their homes, those who have the space to do so have leaned in to the special joy of gardening. A home garden brings some much needed nature to our urban and suburban lives. While I admit I have struggled to help anything to grow more than a few leaves, I am still inspired by those in our community who care for plants and commune with God in this special way.

I had the fortune of joining some neighbors in Southside Park to water the Sakura grove on Thursday morning. Most of the smoke had finally cleared from the sky, and it wasn’t yet hot. I aimed the hose at the root of each tree and marveled at their capacity to drink. I saw bugs crawling up from under the pools of water, catching their breath. I noticed the resilience of the tree trunks where the bark had grown over a break (most likely suffered from human causes). God loves the trees and the bugs and the people, for God is the Creator of us all.