The Garden of God

Owen January 31, 2013 1
​Back in the days of Eden, God seemed to be in the habit of walking in the garden in the cool of the day, a picture of contentment and rest, a place where he would expect to find Adam and Eve and perhaps have a companionable word with them. These feelings of being in a beautiful place, of enjoying rest after a hard day's work, of treasuring easy companionship are parts of being human we've inherited from God that are worth keeping on our personal horizons. Somewhere along the line we lost that easy relationship with God, our environment, our companions and ourselves. Instead of revelling in the pleasures of a good God and his good world, the Eden story deteriorates into a not-very-funny game of hide and seek, as Adam and Eve hide from God out of fear and embarrassment. And the garden grows wild with thorns and thistles. Perhaps it takes Brian Cox or David Attenborough and his photographic wizards to alert us again to the wonders of life and infinite imagination of our Creator God. Or perhaps it just needs us to slow down and notice the miracle of the first snowdrop or the dust-and-light mystery of a sunset.  Take a deep breath. Slow down. Enjoy the beauty of God who meanders through his creation in the cool of the day.