The above photos of rose flowers depict different stages of a bud opening to be a flower. During the opening process the outer layers recede and the inner petals dominate the visible part of the flower. The inner petals obscure the outer gradually.
This is a paradox in life. We encounter greater expressibility of the external- what dress we wear, what brand of computer or phone we use, where we live, what vehicle we own, what salary we get, where do we go for holiday....! These matter a lot in an existentially oriented world.
But the rose flower gives another message. The outer or the external gets covered by the inner. The inner petals of a rose flower obscure the outer as the flower opens fully. The outer was a cover for the inner. The inner presides over the outer.
Th photos of the two rose flowers below reveal a confluence of the outer and the inner. As the flower is fully open there is an integration of the outer and inner, where the inner flourishes under the cover of the outer layers of petals.
That becomes a message worth pondering upon! How do we use the conveniences of life to live our lives! Do we live pursuing more creature comfort and existential conveniences or we monitor them to be a healthy influence upon our lives to meet our needs and not promote our wants or wish list!
How I wish that the inner being of my life is the sacred treasure within, which influences my whole being !
I noticed a passage in the new testament of the Bible during my reading in the new year, which states this truth in a persuasive way : "And let not your adornment be merely external... but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God ( 1 Peter 3:3-4).
The inner being of our self in our 'earthen body' is the treasure that we are invited to esteem and nourish!
The two photos below of a spider in the centre of the flower caught my attention. When the inner of a flower is invaded, the flower suffers and has a shorter life or ceases to be fresh and fragrant.
In the second photo of the rose flower, it is evident that the outer petals were also partially consumed by insects. The flower shows sign of decay in the outer and inner petals. That becomes even more worrying. The fortress of security and comfort we create for ourselves carries vulnerability. The decay proceeds to vitiate our inner self disturbing the purpose and wellness in life!
It is when we invest to make the existential questions central- 'what we shall eat, what we shall put on or where we shall live', we make room for the inner self to grow corrupt with short sighted view of life!
The two flowers below paused these questions to me.
How refreshing it was to see the two flowers below with the outer and inner row of petals together making the flowers look complete and promising.
The outer protects the inner. The inner radiates gracefully to offer the fullness that they were formed for!
The photo of the desert roses below left another message for me to consider. The inner hollow of the flower surrounded by the petals had a metaphorical message for me !
What stayed on with me, after seeing the hollow inside the desert flowers was the imagery of a sanctuary, hidden by the petals.
Yes, each of us has a sanctuary within ourselves.
Jesu of Nazareth referred to this inner room in our lives, when He said: " .. when you pray, go into your inner room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father who sees in secret will repay you" (Matthew 6:6).
The inner room within is for prayer to experience visitation from God.That is what renews life.
The life within takes precedence over the outer and the visible.
The inner self, with a mind to think, heart to feel and soul to sense God's presence, is the true self that I am called to be!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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