Asparagus

 

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! (Psalm 67 ESV).

 

OK… I hope we can have a little fun and be encouraged today. Thus I have chosen to write about grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus! I love to cook, though my menu is not as broad as some. We have two grills; one is fueled with propane and one with charcoal or wood. I often use the kettle grill which is fueled with charcoal and add a bit of seasoned mesquite. I like to grill the vegetables along with the meat; and, asparagus is a staple for us. Wrapping each spear in bacon and seasoning them a bit is a very tasty treat with just about any meat.

 

As I thought about that a bit I also went to our reading today. If you want to understand how God often works in our lives, plant asparagus. Early in spring, the asparagus bed is just a plain patch of dirt. But leave for a weeklong trip, and upon your return you may find the tender spears have shot up to over three feet tall! Where there had been nothing, now triumphant stalks stand proud and graceful, bursts of life from barren ground. These are not precious little tips peeking through the soil, but stems strong and plentiful, a full plot reporting the week of warming weather. If you are a seasoned gardener, you have experienced this little miracle. That’s not terribly unusual for spring in Texas. This time of the year we have bluebonnets and other wildflowers that are bursting with their color throughout the fields along the highways; bare trees are leafing out; and, flower buds swelling to bloom. That ought to gain a little sharper attention from us. Especially after Easter that ought to call us to a stronger belief. After all life has burst up from the sleeping soil before our very eyes and sends joy. It ought to bring resilience and wonder surging through our soul.

 

This is the resurrection story: What was dead comes back to life. The moment simply speaks to us of Jesus’ resurrection, an event the returning array of asparagus imprints on us with a deeper intensity. The bare plot turned vegetable crop shows us new birth and a living hope. There is nothing subtle or cryptic about it. Our reading declares the spring garden proclaims the way of God’s salvation (v. 1).