Consider the Lilies of the Pond

 

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

                           Matthew 6: 28-29 King James Version

 There was an article by philosophy professor Sonia Sedivy in Saturday's Globe and Mail newspaper with the intriguing title HOW LOVING FLOWERS CAN SAVE THE PLANET. Sedivy focuses in on the Chelsea Flower Show in Britain which takes place every May on the huge grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The subtitle of the piece is Beauty can feel like a luxury in a difficult world. But Britain’s Chelsea Flower Show is proof that it is important, too. 

I am certainly a strong believer in the transformative power of beauty whether it is through art or nature. Beauty is an antidote to the relentlessly crass, materialistic tendencies of our species and we can cultivate an eye for the beautiful around us. 

I read this article after we returned home from a few days of family camping in Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, one of the lesser known parks in our province, although it was full to bursting. We got out on the water a few times and saw a parental loon feeding a chick up close, as well as a curious snapping turtle. At night the fireflies were astonishingly abundant, an encouraging sign because they are supposedly in decline, as are snappers and loons.

I was also struck by the sight of yellow and white water lilies in profusion, something we might be inclined to take for granted in Ontario, yet they were glorious with dragonflies and damselflies flitting about. 

When Jesus invited us to admire the wildflowers (described at lilies in the KJV) it was so that we might stop and consider the beauty of Creation as a reset from the downward spiral of anxiety and fear that threatens our wellbeing. Contemplating beauty in all its forms is a "soul lift" that heals and inspires. I have no doubt the Chelsea Flower Show is mind-boggling, but so are those water lilies that neither toil nor spin. 

I think, too, about the enigmatic phrase from Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky; "beauty will save the world."  Dostoevsky was a devout Christ-follower and so i'm confident that if he saw Canadian water liliies in bloom he would delight in them as a gift from the Creator. 

Make sure you consider the lilies of the pond in all their beauty during these sweltering these days of summer. It is good for the soul. 

 

                                                      Chelsea Flower Show