Several things come to mind when one thinks of gardens: Nature. Life. Flourishing. Fruit. Vegetables. Pollinators. Beauty. Colors. Fragrances.
And in the Bible: New beginnings. In the opening pages of Genesis is a garden—within the newness of the entire earth, which is within the newness of the entire cosmos. In the final pages of Revelation is a garden—fed by a stream emanating from the throne of God, flowing out into the entire world, to which all who are thirsty may come and drink.
And found between those two are several other noteworthy gardens. The most significant of which, perhaps, is that “at the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden.” Coincidence? John doesn’t seem to think so.
Out of death comes new life. Which is another thing about gardens that may not come immediately to mind: compost. Death is never the end. It is always fuel for a new beginning. Sometimes in the most surprising ways.
