The Parable of the Violet as told by Dietrich Gruen for FPC newsletter, January of 2019
“I have learned the secret of being content in all circumstances.”
—the Apostle Paul to the Church at Philippi, Macedonia
Learning to be content with who we are, as we are—with our talents limited or otherwise, with our size small or otherwise, and with our status within the larger Body of Christ whether as a mouthpiece (me) or all the other equally useful parts (you all)—that is the secret of doing life together. If we were to compare ourselves with one another, or FPC with other churches—that would be detrimental to our well-being. And being, well, the Church as God designed it. God designed you and me as one body with many parts. As in this familiar analogy from human anatomy and cited in the New Testament reading selected for our worship, January 27:
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be…. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.” —Paul in his First Letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece
In a devotional that I read for the Elders during our Session meeting on January 6, I shared this story of various trees and plants in God’s Garden, which I dub, The Parable of the Violet:
The story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak tree said it was tired of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine was troubled because it could not bear grapes like the grapevine. The grapevine was determined to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.
And so it went throughout the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the king found its face as bright and happy as ever, and said, “Well, Violet, I’m glad there’s one brave little flower amidst all this discouragement. You don’t seem the least disheartened.”
Violet responded, “No, I’m not. I know I am small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. I knew you wanted a violet, so I am determined to be the best little violet I can be.”
—L. B. Cowman, in her classic devotional, Streams in the Desert
Paul, in writing to his first century churches, and our King wandering in his garden, both make the same point. The secret of contentment and joyful service lies in this: Others may do greater works, but we each have our part to do; no one in God’s family can do your part as well as you. AMEN.