- photo by Susan PageA few days before an election that captured world attention, I was visiting a local botanical garden.
After strolling through the spectacular outdoor gardens, I wandered into the solarium where something immediately captured my attention. The Bird of Paradise flower on display was unusual, creating a visual object lesson.
As my camera zoomed in on this beautiful exotic flower, I could not help but be amazed. The sap from the flower had dried forming what looked like an eye flowing with tears. Amazingly, it was precisely in the right location to look realistic. Yes, I have a good imagination, but this visual gave me pause to reflect and do a little research.
In South Africa because of its appearance, sometimes the Bird of Paradise flower is referred to as the Crane Flower. However, this striking flower is aptly named after a bird species, called the Bird of Paradise. It symbolizes joyfulness, paradise, freedom, anticipation, and excitement. Furthermore, it stands for faithfulness, love, and thoughtfulness.
Yet in my photographic capture, the flower looked anything but joyful. It looked sorrowful.
The passage of Scripture that came to my mind is from St. Paul’s writings. I know the passage is not specifically about sorrowful-looking flowers. Yet, it is a meaningful passage that speaks about all creation's suffering as we eagerly anticipate when there will be no more disease or decay. We groan and shed tears with our longing for Christ’s return.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:18-26).
The passage goes on to teach how we should view and process any election or troubling world event. We are called to pray!
“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).
This passage finishes with an often-quoted promise, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
So, let us reflect again on the visual of a sorrowful-looking Bird of Paradise flower. Remember it is a flower that symbolizes joyfulness, paradise, freedom, anticipation, excitement and most importantly love and thoughtfulness. Our heavenly paradise is coming, perhaps, very soon!
While we wait, let us share our joy, our excitement our message of freedom in Christ and our anticipation for His return. In the sharing, let us be thoughtful and may our love for the lost overflow from the love which comes from Christ.
Be a beautiful blossom, a sweet aroma that causes people to stop and take notice. We can be God’s chosen vessel, His channel of hope, to a world that is desperately hurting.
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.