I saw this flower growing on a vine at the end of our garden the other day. They are probably quite common but i've never seen one before and think it's completely amazing. It's not easy to tell from the photo but it has so much detail and from the side it looks like a little helicopter or something! Some of the flowers that have died now have orange fruit growing from the centre. Anyway, being the geek that i am, i looked it up and found out that it's a passion flower and the fruit is obviously passion fruit.Apparently it's actually called a passion flower because it was discovered by Spanish Christian missionaries and it reminded them of the 'passion of Christ' on the cross. All the different parts of the flower are supposed to symbolise different aspects of Jesus dying on the cross, for example the nails and the wounds and the crown of thorns. It sounds like a slightly Catholic thing to do to me. Anyway, apparently traditionally the leaves can also be used to make tea which is meant to heal things such as epilepsy! I don't think i will actually risk making tea out of it in the hope that it will heal me, i read somewhere else that doing that can be very dangerous! I don't want to get overly caught up in the symbolism either and i'm not going to be all mystical about the leaves!! However, i did find that on reading of it's origin and the apparent healing properties of it's leaves i was directed back to Jesus and remembered the verse in the bible which talks about the tree of life and how "the leaves are for the healing of the nations" Rev 22.2. I'm not going to put my hope in a flower, however beautiful it is, but i am going to put my hope in Jesus and do believe that there is healing in him, through his death and resurrection - healing from sin, healing from sickness, healing from all things. Somehow the fact that the same flower that represents Jesus' death also has leaves which are meant to heal epilepsy, simply gave some vigour back to my faith and hope that it is Jesus who will heal me and other people - whether we see that healing today, tomorrow, or when He comes again.
"On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." - Rev 22.2
4 comments:
pray for the soul of leona helmsley
Well well well, passion flowers eh? I am thrilled to read your blog and know you are safe and sound up there. Thanks for the card by the way, why on EARTH were you writing cards on your moving day??? It's Pam by the way. Anyway, a weird thing: I have been obsessing (and I mean this literally) about whether to plant a passion flower or a jasmine on an archway that I am planning in our garden, and I think you have removed all doubt, it's safe to say. I remeber saying to another teacher friend years ago that if you asked your class to invent a flower and they came up with that design you would send them back saying 'don't be silly' as it's so over the top and crazy-looking! Fancy it having all the hidden meanings you have uncovered. Maybe we can start a private link somehow to discuss such matters without anyone listening in and calling us geeks - shame on you, geek-taunters....
Well, Pam, as as us spiritual foxes say, it must be a sign from God! You should definitely plant a passion flower!
Good question Pam... why on earth DID i write you a card on my moving day?!! ha ha!... i was actually banished from the house while the removal men were there... hence i had time to write a card! So, you're planning an archway for your garden... i hope it goes well!.. i shall have to come back and see it when it's done!.. Did i ever tell you how much i like your garden by the way? i saw it for the first time at some 20's thing recently and completely love it! Maybe i should have e-mailed you, i doubt you will even find this reply! Oh well!
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