Mosaic of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Resurrection Chapel, Washington National Cathedral
There was a lovely piece by Oliver Sacks in the New York Times this past week, published posthumously of course, given that this giant of the psychological world died several years ago. The title is The Healing Power of Gardens and in it Sacks offers that "In 40 years of medical practice, I have found only two types of non-pharmaceutical “therapy” to be vitally important for patients with chronic neurological diseases: music and gardens." He mentions that during travel around the world he always sought out botanical gardens and that 50 years of living in New York City was made palatable by visiting parks and gardens.
It's a good reminder this Easter morning as we'll hear that Jesus died rise from the dead in a laboratory but in a garden and that the mourning Mary Magdalene mistook him for the gardener. Some Christians are wary of associating the Resurrection with the rebirth of Springtime, but I'm not one of them. Christ is the First-born of Creation and First-born of Resurrection.
Canadians long for Spring after a long Winter and each crocus and snowdrop reminds us of life. Jesus, the Gardener of our Souls meets us in our sorrow and tears and lifts us to life once again.
New York Botanical Garden
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