Whilst mowing the lawn on this lock-down afternoon, I tried to think of those many biblically– inspirational scenes which pertain to gardens.

There is, of course the garden of Eden, where God breathed into Adam the breath of life:

“And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed”. (Genesis 2. 7–9)

From that same garden, Adam fell from grace, from which sprung our need of salvation:

“from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it, or you will die.’” (Genesis.3.3.)

Gardens figure largely in Old Testament imagery, where they are almost always places of refreshment, of light and hope:

“Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters.” (Numbers 24. 6)

Or again:

“You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry” (Isaiah 58. 11)

And then, of course, in the New Testament, Jesus speaks of himself as 'The Vine', into which we are 'grafted'– encouraged to bear wholesome fruitand to 'abide'always in him (St John 15). 

We recall the Garden of Gethsemane, where on the night before he died, Jesus told Peter, James and John to 'watch'with him and 'pray' (St John.18), yet they fell asleep. In that same garden, Jesus was betrayed by Judas – and from that garden he was arrested by soldiers and led towards his end.

Finally, it was in a garden, where the Risen Jesus appeared to Mary of Magdala (St John. 20). She, 'supposing him to be the gardener', asked where the body of Jesus had been placed – and when he spoke her name, she knew instantly, that it was him. She turned toward him and cried out in aramaic, 'Rabboni' (which means 'Teacher'). She ran quickly to the disciples with the news that he had risen – "I have seen the Lord"  and she told them of the things he had said to her. 

So in the story from creation to redemption, gardens figure largely.

I'm glad I mowed the lawn today!

Fr Dominic