June 27, 2005
Gardens
God never promised us a rose garden. Of course, Eden and Gethsemane figured mightily in the ways things turned out, but it was the gardeners who made all the difference. According to Paul and some poetic license, both were named Adam, First and Last, just to keep the story straight.
First couldn’t cut it alone in spite of all the supporting flora and fauna. Landscaping was simply not his bag. So with a bit of thoracic surgery, God gave him a partner. That only served to distract him and ultimately to cost him his lease.
Last was another matter. He found his garden, it didn’t find him. He had plenty of friends, but when it really mattered, he, too, was alone with the same vocational crisis he’d had all along. When he made his choice, it turned the world around.
What happened to the gardens is not altogether clear.