Which are we... the gardener, the fig tree or the soil?

 

 
 

 

At first glance, there appears to be two disparate, unrelated tracks in our reading (Luke 13:1-9) 13:1-9): tragedy and gardening. But no doubt, Luke is making a point and no doubt the two tracks are in some way related. 

When tragedy befalls people, innocent people and what we might euphemistically refer to as good people, our way of making sense of the world can be sometimes shattered - emotionally, spiritually and physically. How often do people relate the catastrophic events of our world and lives to “divine punishment” for some misdeeds? In recent weeks, our readings enabled us to develop an appreciation for both Jesus’ divine and human natures. With regard to the latter, Jesus knew all too well that the temptation to yield to our human nature and surrender to evil was strong. Our colloquial use of the word repent is more closely associated with punishment for wrong doing. So, using tragedy as a means to justify punishment might be considered by some as a means of exacting repentance. I don’t believe that this is what Jesus meant when he repeatedly warned, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” While it may include sorrow and regret, I believe that repentance (metanoia) is more a call to conversion from self-love, self-trust, and self-assertion to obedient trust and self-commitment to God. It is a change of mind that involves a conscious turning away from wrong actions, attitudes and thoughts that conflict with a Godly lifestyle and it is an intentional turning toward doing that which pleases God. Of interest, the words "repent," "repentance," and "repented" are mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. (Stagg, Frank. New Testament Theology).

OK, so while we might suffer human pain for tragic events such as Katrina; the tsunami in Japan; Hurricane Sandy and the plight of refugees seeking asylum in Europe…we are not being held to blame. We are, however, being summoned to keep our eye on the prize and continue to turn our lives to seeking a closer union with God as we live in the love of Christ.

So, where does gardening fit into this gospel? The virtually dead fig tree that consumes valuable earthly resources and personal time seems hopeless. Yet it may still be worth trying to save. It may require amending the soil and nurturing it as a means to encourage new growth, erstwhile dormant. We are all gardeners as we work at sustaining life even when it requires the extra effort to turn it around.

So often we fall into the trap of assuming that spirituality involves becoming who we inherently are not. That is not true. God does not expect more from our humanity than for us to be that which we were created to be. So in keeping with the gardening metaphor, let’s use this Lenten season as an opportunity to dig around the roots of our lives and refresh our soulful soil so that we might be open to God’s word and his will for us. And as for our human failures and hurts, in the spirit of renewal and going forward, let them become compost for today’s growth.