After ten days of travel when I returned home, in the last week of November 2024, I noticed one rose bush, which was planted in August with buds and flowers. Since then I have watched this rose plant over the last four weeks.
The last photo is the one that was taken this week. In a season of one month the plant shed its leaves and the flowers are about to wither away!
The contrast is conspicuous between the then and now.
A plant has its own rhythm. Its best was about six weeks back when the plant had mostly buds with some flowers in different stages of being open.
The best of the photos of the flowers I have are of photos taken around Anna's birthday. That was a happy synchronicity.
While visiting a family yesterday, Anna and I heard stories of their long years of professional service and the upbringing experiences of their children. With their children living godly lives with their homes being places where people find the light of hope through their being and doing, their story filled our hearts with immense joy of generational witness to the truth of love and care they represent. We heard the mother read to us the Christmas meditation one of their children wrote, which held our attention and moved us to feel how reflective and articulative it was.
The rose bush above lives with its blossoms in season. It lives beyond one season of flowering. It shall flower in another two or three months with similar exuberance.
The testimony of the family we visited was another witness to the reality of godly living generationally! Even in the midst of some trying experiences recently, their steadfastness to make God's nearness and presence in their lives brought encouragement to us. Such families are the message bearers of Christmas, where they live with peace, hope and joy, which the Christ of Christmas came to bring to humankind.
I write this keeping in mind, the ugly event which happened yesterday when the members of the Indian parliament clashed with each other in its foyer, becoming even physical with each other. How terrible to think that the seasoned politicians have lost trust in dialogue !
The Christmas season is a time to announce and practice peace.
We received the gift of peace from the family whom we visited yesterday! Such families are the leaven in a community!
An Indian pond Heron visited our garden at mid day yesterday. It is an unusual time for a Heron. Usually it moves about between flight stations in the morning or evening. To find it at mid day in the sun yesterday was reminder of the strange times we live in, when peace evades us. But Heron was a symbol of hope! Peace shall become the ambience of human hearts!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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