By Kevin de l’Aigle
At Easter Time, we may recall the verse, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these…”
As thousands turn away from the rampant ugliness of Washington Road towards the gorgeousness of the National (reserved for very few), let us consider that which cannot be replaced – the beauty of nature, freely given for all who will pay attention.
Scholars and scientists have studied the intimate connection between inattention to place and the ecological crisis upon us.
When we get confused and find no answers in the rancor of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle and find ourselves spinning around in circles and getting road rage, sometimes the best thing to do is stop and immerse ourselves in nature.
And, often the best teacher is nature.
We can look at the blooms of wildflowers along Riverwatch or find sheer joy in the color of the azaleas on Greene Street.
In the early 1950s, the City of Augusta planted thousands of azaleas and more than 3,500 trees in a community beautification campaign. In the mid 1970s, the city planted 4,350 dwarf azaleas while it installed an underground sprinkler system and new brighter streetlights along Augusta’s downtown Greene Street.
Now, this fifty-year-old infrastructure has been allowed to crumble, but the azaleas beam on happily.
Hats off to citizen initiatives, like those by the Azalea Garden Club at Pendleton King Park to keep azaleas shining, not just for the TV cameras, but for all citizens year after year.
Through it all, we are called to love and care for our environment. This divine gift of hope invites us to be better stewards of nature and, in turn, better human beings.
Hark! how his winds have chang’d their note,
And with warm whispers call thee out.
The frosts are past, the storms are gone,
And backward life at last comes on.
The lofty groves in express joys
Reply unto the turtle’s voice;
And here in dust and dirt, O here
The lilies of His love appear!
Henry Vaughan – The Revival
