If anyone knows me, they know how much I love to garden. I grow zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and many other herbs. I also love planting flowers. All gardeners know that it is important to get the soil tilled, weed free, and ready for the season. The garden needs sunlight and water for the crops to grow. There are so many similarities between gardening and how Jesus speaks to us.
Many of you know that I suffer from a vision loss that has left me legally blind. For many years I was in denial and was hiding my disability. I only told the people that I trusted. I did not want to be different and stand out because I did not want to admit it to myself that I needed help.
Recently I was listening to some music, and a favorite song came on. Even though I have heard this song many times before, one line of the lyrics jumped out at me. The line reads, “In my own defense, I don’t believe that I was born this complicated.” It made me laugh, and I could not get the words out of my head.
In the past months I’ve had many conversations with a wide range of people, of different ages, different races, different education levels, and different geographical areas. We have covered a variety of topics. There’s a lot to choose from; personal and family situations, the pandemic, the economy, unrest in cities and towns across the country, and even, yes- the weather. But nearly every conversation has something in common: varying levels of anxiety.
The murder of George Floyd has sparked outrage all around us, and rightfully so. The effects of continued police brutality have sparked protests not just in Minneapolis, not just in America, but across the world. But George Floyd’s murder is just one symptom of a much more serious condition that our country was built upon.