Living in Ireland whose climate is “flower friendly” and fortunate enough to be married to a flower grower/arranger it is impossible not to be struck by their sheer elegance and beauty. They surround the house and ‘invade’ our living space in the most glorious manner!

All this, of course, does not happen by chance. Nor would the processes of evolution produce such order even if we waited a few billion years! It requires the hand of the gardener who tends, weeds and feeds each in its season according to its own special requirements.

In this regard they resemble human relationships. They bring the greatest joy when they are looked after and the greatest difficulties when they are neglected.

Just as flowers need to be weeded (Jesus said “An enemy has done this” referring to the tares in the wheat field; St Matthew chapter 13 verse 28) human relationships need daily attention. The same enemy can sow the weeds of conflict, control, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness…which, if allowed to grow choke the life out of relationships. Good relationships are good because those involved never stop working on them.

Job must have been having a bad day (and he had a few of them) when he said, “Man who is born of woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.” (Chapter 14 verse 2) So what is Job saying? He puts flowers and Man into the same transitory category. Both have a relatively short shelf life! But both have the potential, under the hand of the master Gardener, to produce great beauty.

Let’s leave it to St Peter to sort out the seed which produces the flowers of God’s love. We are to “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (then he quotes Isaiah) for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’

(Then he adds)

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1Peter chapter 1 verses 22-25).

So St Peter is saying the seed of a good relationship with both God and people is the word – the Bible. And the good news is (in verses 18/19)

“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

The risen Jesus is the master Gardener. Put your trust in his work – it lasts forever.