Although I struggle with seasonal allergies, I still very much appreciate flowers. Flowers have become for me some of the most eloquent reminders of important aspects of the Christian faith. Their beauty can brighten any room, yet their brief life urges us to seize the day and appreciate the gift of each moment. Years ago, while visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, I was captivated by his Almond Blossom painting. It is a picture that Van Gogh created to celebrate the birth of his nephew, who shared his name. The white blossoms radiate joy and tenderness, and in Hebrew tradition the almond tree symbolizes God’s watchfulness and the renewal of life. I have read that it is the first tree to bloom after winter with a quiet proclamation that hope is already stirring beneath the cold.

Van Gogh’s sunflowers have also grown dear to me over the years. When touring the National Art Gallery in London in the summer of 2023 my wife, Lisa, took a photograph of me next to one of Van Gogh’s famous sunflower paintings. I’ve read that sunflowers can symbolize unwavering faith, loyalty, adoration and longevity. They remind me of the sun itself. Their bright faces, filled with personality, have a way of lifting the spirit in all kinds of circumstances. Easter lilies, with their trumpet‑shaped blooms and pure white color, proclaim resurrection in both form and meaning. Their shape seems to sound a call into the darkness that awakens those who sleep in death with the promise of eternity’s sunrise. The red rose, long associated with love, carries the deeper symbolism of sacrificial love, as Christian tradition has linked it to martyrdom.

Beyond our own faith tradition, the lotus, a flower so central in Buddhism as a symbol of enlightenment,
speaks of beauty rising from the mud. I find that image resonates deeply with the Christian story which
proclaims that in Jesus Christ God enters the depths of human existence and transforms it into a new,
resurrected way of being through the power of forgiving love.

In all their forms flowers invite us to pause, ponder and appreciate the beauty God pours into the world.
They remind us that divine wisdom is often expressed through simple, fleeting things. Their colors, shapes and fragrances whisper truths about renewal, joy, sacrifice and hope. I truly sense that there is a timeless God‑given wisdom in the old invitation to “stop and smell the roses.” I have also found that when we do pause, we discover that every blossom, whether almond, sunflower, lily, rose or lotus becomes a small parable of grace that directs us toward the One who renews life, brightens our days and watches over us with unfailing love. Thanks be to the gracious God we meet in Jesus who provides us with these numerous reminders that we are loved and that heavenly blessings are available in abundance here on the earth as well!