The Ever-Dying Basil Plant
Basil is a staple in our house. We put basil in bruschetta, spaghetti sauce, sandwiches, and on our pizza. We eventually got tired of buying basil for one meal, only to have it shrivel up in our fridge three days later. So, we bought a basil plant. We watered it regularly, and it would do well for a while, but it eventually died. Thus, we bought another one, and it died. This happened several more times. I used to get upset that we couldn’t keep such a simple plant alive. And then I remembered that everything dies.
On Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, we remember our own mortality and the words of God to Adam and Eve when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden:
“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground for out of it you were taken;
you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:19
In other words, everything dies in creation, including humanity.
As humans, though, we forget, and sometimes outright deny, that death is a natural part of life. In doing so, we become frightened about letting go of anything, including sending our children to school for the first time, letting them drive or go off to college. We can also experience fear when we move from a town we loved, or when we lose our independence whether by having to stop driving or moving into a retirement home. In a local church, we sometimes are afraid to let go of the ministry we have sustained for 40 years, our building and shared history, our staff and church members, and the way we have always done it.
When we are faced with letting go, our faith grounds us in the reality that death is not the end. We see this in the resurrection. Jesus cannot be resurrected without first dying. Followers of Jesus cannot find new life without first dying to ourselves. We must first let go of those things that no longer serve us, so that we might find new life in Christ.
No matter what we are letting go of, the work itself is not easy. When we give up the things we love, we experience grief. This is true in our personal lives and the lives of the church. Whether a congregation is faithfully completing its ministry, merging with another congregation, or revitalizing, grief will be present in the letting go. Even Jesus in the garden, prayed “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me...” (Luke 22:42)
During the season of Lent, it is traditional to give up something. But perhaps, this year, we might pause each day to remember the many ways death has brought new life into the world. We might consider the work of seeds, the importance of fire in a forest ecosystem, the loss of childhood, moving to a new job or town, or even the rotation of church members on committees.
My family is now on our fourth basil plant, and it has been alive the longest. We give thanks for that each day! Yet, we know that when this plant moves on, it too will return to the earth, and its nutrients will bring new life. May you, too, find new life in letting go.
