Easter’s joy is a Spring for the soul. A garden at Easter is a place of healing. Our winter-weary spirits are revived as we watch Spring clothe the Earth with new life.
Healing
Christ hath took in this piece of ground,
And made a garden there for those
Who want herbs for their wound.From ‘Sunday’ by George Herbert
The earliest gardens were physic gardens, full of herbs and other medicinal plants. One of the oldest in England is the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. It was founded by the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries in 1673.
Christ, the Great ‘Apothecary’, by his suffering won for us herbs to heal our spiritual wounds:
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.Isaiah 53
Good Friday
But before we celebrate we have to cope with the sadness of Good Friday. A herb garden can include bitter herbs. There were several of these in the traditional Passover meal in the upper room just before the Crucifixion.
The sun had set. It was all over, so it seemed. Evil had done its worst and the body of Jesus had been laid lovingly by the faithful few in the borrowed tomb. Now on the Sabbath day of rest the followers struggled to come to terms with what had happened. It was an uneasy peace.
But things were not as they seemed:
See, as they strip the robe from off his back
And spread his arms and nail them to the cross,
The dark nails pierce him and the sky turns black,
And love is firmly fastened on to loss.
But here a pure change happens. On this tree
Loss becomes gain, death opens into birth.
Here wounding heals and fastening makes free,…..
And here our Saviour calls us to his side,
His love is free, his arms are open wide.Malcolm Guite
Easter Day
But then, on the third day it began to became clear. Instead of a funeral there was a celebration. And the celebration continues today.
I got me flowers to straw thy way: I got me boughs off many a tree: But thou wast up by break of day, And brought’st thy sweets along with thee.
From ‘Easter’ by George Herbert
In Rowan Williams’ book Resurrection he writes:
“Jesus appeared to people whose confidence in him had crumbled, not to believers. It was the resurrection that created the Church and its faith, not the Church that created the resurrection.”…….
Something very remakable must have happened to convince all these heart – broken disciples. For within a few weeks they were out in the streets boldly telling people about Jesus’s death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. The Christian Faith spread and within three centuries the Roman empire became officially Christian.
Surprised by Joy
In his delightful book, The Lion’s World about the Golden Goodness of Narnia’s Aslan, Rowan Williams writes:
‘Our 21st century world needs to rediscover what it might mean to meet with the Holy One without the staleness of religious preconceptions. The truth of God is found in rebellion against the oppressive clichés of the (unbelieving) world. Against this joyless order stands the unpredictable world of grace. The surprise of meeting this joy is worth tasting.’
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy..
1 Peter 1:8
The early Christians had no fear of death—but rather they faced it with eager anticipation.
A joy which took a man cheerfully to his death for the sake of One he could not see, made a profound impression, on the ancient world. Joyful Christian lives, and even more, joyful Christian deaths were major factors that attracted non-Christians to Christ.’Michael Wood
Thank you for visiting. Wishing a you a happy Easter with a fullness of Easter joy.
–Richard
A Listening Heart 