Fearless Faith

The full spectrum

 

February 23, 2022



It is once again time for gardeners to wake from their wintry slumber and purposefully step into that spring rite known as planting season. Plastic trays, peat pots, mulch and soil amendments are all part of the conversations which, once started, can become all-consuming. A growing stack of seed catalogs attests to the urgency of the matter. This is known as the horticulturalist’s “everything is possible” stage and woe to those who give it short shrift.

When did it get to be so involved? For years, potting soil and a good attitude were basic garden ingredients. A cold frame made out of old storm windows and hot caps for the tomatoes was about as fancy as it got. Raised bed gardening was more novelty than not and its successes were mostly relegated to slick cover gardening magazines. What, then, has brought forth today’s explosion of knowledge and interest in gardening? It’s not too hard to imagine that the internet has much to do with it. Yes, there are actually helpful online interest groups that foster exchange of information in good ways. Who knew?

The latest bit of technology for starting seedlings has taken a leap forward from the days of grow lights that ran hot and performed poorly. Compare heat lamps to the full spectrum LED light bars now available, complete with rheostats and heat mats to warm each tray uniformly for germination. The range of wavelengths is calculated to provide optimal growth, and their cool operating temps make them easy to use. Without exploring the latest technology, gardeners would find themselves in the dark on such matters.

Funny how apropos that sounds in comparison to an ever-expanding theological knowledge base. New analytical tools are at hand if we choose to observe the full spectrum of possibilities. The tools we use in the future will be different than many tools of today, just as today’s tools are different from the recent past. Our culture is suspicious of such forward movement in a multitude of ways. Many prefer the known to the unknown, static sameness to dynamic challenge and the perceived safety of the present over the future. By limiting or discouraging theological expression and exploration, we come to a standstill. The work of the past is gloriously put on display while a more recent analyses remain nervously stored away in a side room, unused and unavailable.

Gardens change with the seasons, shifting and moving, responding to the gardener’s touch. What tools are available to create a garden of wonder and delight? Once you begin looking, expect to be surprised and energized. Help and discernment may come from the unlikeliest of places; new technology, an insightful friend, an unrelated moment when one is caught, humbled and unaware. That’s what gardens do. When well-tended, they frequently rise to their verdant potential and when ignored they revert to a wild state which can be quite beautiful in itself.

Use the full spectrum of light available to grow your faith. “If you look the right way you can see that the whole world is a garden.” (Francis Hodgson Burnett)

 

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