50 Shades of Green

Scripture

 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.

(John 12:24-25 MSG)

50 Shades of Green
Last week Susan and I drove the back country roads from our home to see a play at the Stratford Festival. The play was terrific, being in an audience was energizing and experiencing the actors got the creative juices flowing.

But my most enduring memories are the images of the fields and tree lines newly minted with foliage and rich growth – and every shade of green imaginable was being offered for our visual renewal. Even at my advanced age there is something spectacular about fresh growth and the greening of the vistas around us.

Colm Feore playing Richard the Third’s title role commanded the stage with the opening lines “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York”, celebrating victory in a civil war. Discontented winter had become summer but as the play unfolds evil simmers under the summer’s surface to lead to plots and murders.

We have been in a season of global discontent and our emerging summer season promises that new growth is still possible and gives us hope. We know that evil simmers on, but we trust in the One who desires justice to prevail, and the many shades of green remind us of this.

A Prayer for Today

Loving God, thank you for new growth around us, for the new lives that are arriving on the scene. But we too often live fearful of the evil that is around us. Give us confidence in the life, death, resurrection and ongoing presence of Jesus in the darkest of places. Grant us the greening of hope to live lives of mercy and justice …. For Jesus’ sake