The magnificent beauty of the garden rests in the diversity of participants in communion, in symbiotic relationship – the diversity of plants, colours, sizes, types, birds, insects, reptiles, leaves and heights.
These diverse members are like companions on a journey. Each by itself lacks beauty, lacks function and lacks purpose. On the journey there is togetherness, co-existence, and multi-presence.
Companions on a journey, on a mission, a mission to gift earth with oxygen, mission to purify earth of carbon dioxide, mission to provide food, mission to gift beauty, and mission to provide rest, respite for passing parrots going to and fro work.
On this journey, there is (are). . .
. . . the Protagonist, – the Sun whose initiative bestows sunlight, the source of Light, the source of life. Like a magnet… the leaves follow its direction, and every member resurrects at the stage appearance of the Sun.
. . . the Crowd – the diversity of plants, birds, insects, reptiles who traverse or make their home in the garden.
. . . the Apostles – my banana plants, there from the beginning with the Christmas Palms whose height and age emanate leadership and wisdom.
. . .. then, let’s not forget, the fourth actor on stage, the Batcha ants and mealy bugs – antagonists – the destroyers whose mission is to destroy, they disrupt the symbiotic relationship.
The garden respects silence, silent listening, listening to the needs of the birds and the iguanas, and that of the humans for food, for peace, for comfort, for rest, for shade.
There’s conversion, conversation between the guava tree and the banana plants. Planted next to each other they negotiate the use of the tiny space, first in competition, then in cooperation, learning to co-exist in a confined space.
Synod – Companions on a journey. My home garden, imperfect icon of the Synod.
Those who have eyes to see, let them see. See the Church’s journeying together through the lens of my imperfect home garden.
Beloved Reflections 