God is a Gardener
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One reason that we, the human race, turn to religion is the belief that something greater than ourselves exists which molds, nurtures and challenges us. The moving thought that somewhere in the ether is an omniscient being who loves and created us motivates billions of people to worship in many different ways.
Given that the Creator, under whatever name or face you give It, is by definition a perfect and all-powerful being, you would think that we, mere humans, are also perfect, right? Wrong! Wouldn't it be boring if you were an avid gardener and all your flowers grew perfectly all the time? Sure would, half the fun of a garden is getting in there with your hands and tools and prying weeds, rocks, debris and the like out of the way of your precious plants. The same goes for our Creator. God is a Gardener of the highest caliber and skill, and we humans are the plants.
Preparing the Garden
In order to provide us with a perfect garden, the Creator had to cultivate the proper soil, nutrients and food for his plants. This required some effort, some work. So, God populated a planet of His own design with all manner of flora and fauna, so his plants would be well nurtured, healthy and strong. The sun was created to warm and invigorate his plants, as well as display the beauty of His creation.
Planting the Seed
Now that the garden was ready for His plants, God had to sow the seeds. With the creation of Adam and Eve, He set in motion the filling of His garden. It took a very long time for the seeds to grow and spread, but soon by His reckoning, the garden was full of plants of all shapes and colors.
Watering the Garden
Every plant needs watering, encouragement beyond food to mature and flourish. God watered His plants by sending His only Son to be amongst them, uplifting their spirits and drawing them toward the sunlight and God's eyes.
Pruning the Garden
To remain healthy, all plants must be kept free of dead limbs, sickly leaves or flowers, and given an opportunity to recover. This is not an easy task for any devoted gardener, much less God. He knows, though, that his plants need it, and so He prunes His garden through measures which whittle away all that is evil from His garden.
The Gardener Loves the Garden
Through all His efforts, the Creator tends His garden with a loving hand. No plant, be it a sapling or a great redwood, is beneath His ministrations. With every sunrise and rainstorm, the Gardener of Creation tirelessly ensures the continued beauty of His plants. In return, His plants love Him, in all His forms.
You're a beautiful plant in the Garden. Leave your praise here!Loading...
As an avid gardener, I think this is a beautiful analogy, and I thank you for writing it.
Thank you for your lovely comments!
Well done, gamergirl. I dig it.
I see God in all of us, but you wrote a beautiful hub as we each have our relationship and view of God and all serves. The analogy of God being a gardner and each one of us being a beautiful plant is very beautiful and well done! Will share your hub with friends.
This doesn't reflect my philosophy, but there's no reason why it should. Well done, and congratulations on your maiden century :)
Gamer,
This is the most beautiful analogy of God I have read in a long time! Thanks for this creation and I hope you don't mind if I print this and share it with others. Of course, I will also pass on the link.
Bonnie
Thanks William!
Paraglider, though I am officially a pagan, I still think that the analogy is both poetic and striking, and am glad you stopped by and commented!
Bonnie, thank you so much! Please do, I really enjoyed putting this into a Hub and am glad you want to share it. :)
That analogy explains how much control God would want to exercise. He does not interfere with those flora and fauna that take care of themselves unless there's a specific cry of help. And even then He might only give them what is needed to be stronger.
Thanks, great hub, Charlotte. :)
A truly beautiful Hub. I have always loved the analogy of the Gardener and I feel that you have done it great justice with your creative writing skills.
I will file this away and surely call upon it at some future time...
Charlotte - Did you know that it is a gift to teach in such a way? You my friend, have that gift:-)
So nice to know you...
Write On!
Wonderful analogy!
I am smiling as I imagine God the gardener. I have experienced Him in many ways, God, my best friend playing with me, my companion when I am driving, my doctor when I am sick and so on... and so this one I could easily imagine him to be. Thank you for helping people change the image of God. :-)
-michelle
Beautiful hub, GG. The big 1-0-0. Congrats. I just came across a little book for you, shoot me an email and I'll get it to you.
This is absolutely lovely. Great job, and thank you for the encouragement!
Nice idea but the whole Garden analogy is perhaps too close to the garden analogy of John Wisdom.
It's quite interesting, all about how it is impossible to prove a religion wrong as its believers will just redefine the original concepts. Here it is:
Let us begin with a parable. It is a parable developed from a tale told by John Wisdom in his haunting and revolutionary article "Gods."[1] Once upon a time two explorers came upon a clearing in the jungle. In the clearing were growing many flowers and many weeds. One explorer says, "Some gardener must tend this plot." The other disagrees, "There is no gardener." So they pitch their tents and set a watch. No gardener is ever seen. "But perhaps he is an invisible gardener." So they set up a barbed-wire fence. They electrify it. They patrol with bloodhounds. (For they remember how H. G. Well's The Invisible Man could be both smelt and touched though he could not be seen.) But no shrieks ever suggest that some intruder has received a shock. No movements of the wire ever betray an invisible climber. The bloodhounds never give cry. Yet still the Believer is not convinced. "But there is a gardener, invisible, intangible, insensible, to electric shocks, a gardener who has no scent and makes no sound, a gardener who comes secretly to look after the garden which he loves." At last the Sceptic despairs, "But what remains of your original assertion? Just how does what you call an invisible, intangible, eternally elusive gardener differ from an imaginary gardener or even from no gardener at all?"
Angus - that is an interesting analogy, and one I had yet to read. Thank you for showing me something new. :)
Angela Harris 4 years ago
Wow, beautiful!