Christmas is long over but as of March 6 my Christmas Cactus hadn’t realize this…. it has been budding and blooming since November. My 6 year old areca palm plant, for the very first time, suddenly started to bloom this year – branches of teeny yellow balls. It even looks like my little white poinsettia is going to bloom again. And my beautiful orchid is sporting some gorgeous flowers once more. What are my plants trying to tell me…..
Is it that I have been super conscientious about watering, feeding and caring for them this year and they are rewarding me for my care? Some gardeners will say that plants bloom when they are stressed, maybe they are feeling the stress of the pandemic. Whatever the reason, they bring me joy and a feeling of hopefulness. Beauty is all around.
There is another beauty that I have been experiencing lately. Over the past few months I have been privileged to attend COVID 19 Zoom meetings with Mothers’ Union members from many parts of the world. I am slowly getting to recognize them via this online platform – Themsbie and Matito from South Africa, Anne from Australia, Georgianna from Liberia, Jessica from South Sudan, Joan from New Zealand, Jocelyn from East Africa, Abi, Rob, Naomi and Jeanette from Mary Sumner House in the UK, Sophie from Kenya, Marianna from Argentina, Lena from Guyana, and more. It is a mini United Nations on Zoom!
In years past most of these people would meet every three years in the UK and recently, in Rwanda in 2019. Now, partially thanks to the onset of COVID 19, people from all parts of the world are meeting and sharing regularly on line – getting to know each other and drawing closer as an organization. One part that I particularly love about these Zoom sessions is when someone says a prayer in their own language… it is like music and with such feeling!
Each of these meetings, beginning at 6:30 in the morning (! ), focuses on the work of Mothers’ Union around the world.
The focus of the first session I attended was how Mothers’ Union branches were bringing attention to Gender Based Violence in their countries and dioceses. One thing that is apparent is that domestic violence and gender-based violence are worldwide issues. We can never stop bringing light to this and creating a deeper awareness.
At another session, two representatives from WHO (World Health Organization) spoke about the issues with the pandemic and the spread of COVID 19. The concerns are the same around the world, but it was interesting to note the lack of information and understanding that some countries have. They were most thankful to hear information from these qualified persons and planned to take this information back to their communities.
The most recent session was focused on the Mothers’ Union Church and Community Mobilization program and what dioceses around the world are accomplishing. Many of the countries have already begun projects under names such as Awaken, Eagle, and Metamorphosis. You can see a theme in these names – they are projects that help stimulate communities to action and bring about positive change.
As we move into the season of Easter, may we realize that hope and beauty are all around us as exhibited by the plants, people and programs that we encounter.
The winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come… Song of Solomon 2:11-12
