By Cynthia Gaw
Gardening was the original work of our first parents. Through this work, even in prelapsarian Eden, they expressed dominion, stewardship, creativity- the image of God. Metaphors taken from gardening abound in our scriptures. Pruning is the dominant metaphor in the most common passage recommended in Lenten lectionaries, John 15:1-8. Lent is a time of year to eliminate the deadwood, lop off the fruitless, and stimulate purposeful growth.
To many of our contemporaries who view human happiness from the individual’s perspective as the central focus or highest good, pruning is counterintuitive. Experiencing loss, pain, separation, diminishment of life are, for them, causes for questioning God’s love and goodness. But to anyone primarily concerned about fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God, pruning is evidence of providential care.
The poet, George Herbert, enacts this meaning in the structure of his lyric poem, “Paradise.” He “prunes” a letter from every word in the rhyme to produce a more fruitful meaning.
Paradise
I bless thee, Lord, because I G R O W
Among thy trees, which in a R O W
To thee both fruit and order O W.
What open force, or hidden C H A R M
Can blast my fruit, or bring me H A R M,
While the inclosure is thine A R M?
Inclose me still for fear I S T A R T.
Be to me rather sharp and T A R T,
Than let me want thy hand and A R T.
When thou dost greater judgements S P A R E,
And with thy knife but prune and P A R E,
Ev'n fruitful trees more fruitful A R E.
Such sharpnes shows the sweetest F R E N D:
Such cuttings rather heal then R E N D:
And such beginnings touch their E N D.