Greens

Every day, my walk to work takes me along the same route--through the Flower District, on 28th Street between 6th and 7th.

As a resident of a concrete world, the Flower District is sometimes my only visual cue that, in the natural world, the seasons are changing. On 28th St. in the spring, tulips sprout up in pastel hues on the sidewalk; in the summer, daisies, sunflowers, and hanging baskets prevail; in the fall, vendors put out mums in subdued oranges and reds; and in the winter, greens—heaping piles of evergreens.

The Flower District this morning was awash in the smell of fresh-cut evergreen branches. Christmas time.

One of the universal features of this season is the evergreen. Most of the greens you'll see in the office or in stores are, of course, fake (fire codes and insurance agents see to that), but there's a long tradition of hanging real greens at Christmas. The tradition originated in pre-Christian winter festivals when green boughs were brought into the house to ensure the return of green foliage in the Spring. The early Christians adapted this custom and placed evergreens in their homes as a sign that Christ, the everlasting Lord, had entered the home. Evergreens such as holly, ivy, pine, and fir are ever-green, ever-alive, even in winter. They symbolize the unchanging nature of our God; and they remind us of the everlasting life that is ours through Christ Jesus.

In Isaiah we read: "The glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of your sanctuary." (60:13) Our foremothers and fathers called the procuring of evergreens "Bringing home Christmas." We surround ourselves at this time of year with signs and symbols that point us toward the coming into the world of everlasting life through our ever-loving God.

I'll put a wreath on my door. And pray that God will so beautify the sanctuary of my heart.