As any gardener knows, leave a patch of ground bare and you’ve just sent out an invitation for weeds to grow there.
Mother Earth is a modest lady. She doesn’t like to be uncovered for very long. Her favorite color is green.
But she doesn’t pick out her own clothes. Nature will pick them for her.
But so can I.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of the nettle and the thornbush as her covering. Effective in shading Mother Earth from the sun, but not desirable to dwell among or look at. He also referred to the two plants giving way to the myrtle and cypress. The latter are both beautiful and beneficial for everyone involved.
I want to plant a garden with myrtle and cypress. But if I leave my ground alone and don’t tend to it, I’ll end up with nettle and thorns.
As I watch these exciting days unfold, count me as one of the hopeful. I believe I am witnessing something new, as was told to Isaiah. It was also assumed that many would not be aware of it. There are many looking for something familiar. I feel like I am watching the start of a river beginning to flow in the desert. Something brand new.
In the bourgeoning call for the ground to be stripped of the entangled weeds of injustice, inequality and ineffective social systems, I see a good thing, but with an important mandate. Just like tearing out an overgrown vine that has a grip on the entire fenceline, it will be crucial to plant something desirable in its place. If we don’t, something else will creep in and take over by default.
It’s not enough to rely on just the vote to make change. You can vote out the one you despise, but what will the replacement look like? Holding the “anyone will be better than the one we have now” position is not driven by wisdom.
Amid all the cacophony and chaos, I hear the heart behind the calls for actions like defunding the police. It’s one thing to clear the ground. But that’s not enough. it’s even more important to move in and plant according to a plan, tended and watered by passionate leaders that aren’t fueled by rage and motivated by merely tearing out the old.