Hayfever season… the time when Nature imitates the Daleks.
Their mission: to remove functional human beings.
The war cry: “Pollinate!”
At least it sounds more friendly than “Exterminate!”
The guilty criminal in the photo is a local oak tree. Fresh green leaves, how sweet. But the pendulous clusters of small yellow flowers produce high levels of pollen, and the mass that isn’t ensuring the future generation of oaks is heading right for yours eyes, nose and throat. They call it hayfever, which sounds innocuous but is capable of reducing victims to a blubbering heap of tears and snot. Not all are vulnerable. But if you are a victim of accidental pollination, your Spring can be made VERY miserable.
Life is complicated- because the world and its ecosystems are complex. Creation has been disordered, and the promise of the Kingdom of God is that all these things will be put right again. Jesus demonstrated mastery over the physical universe: calming the sea in a storm, feeding thousands with the equivalent of a tuna sandwich!
Ultimately, the Resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee. One who was dead, now lives. He walked (apparently) through walls and locked doors, he cooked a fish breakfast for his mates, and sent His Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
During this lifetime, we should enjoy the wonder of beauty, weep over the brokenness of a suffering world, and live every day in the expectation of meeting Jesus face-to-face. The hayfever days remind us that we’re an unfinished trophy of grace- we have to work through the tougher stuff. Nonetheless, the purpose of our Saviour is clear: read the J.B. Phillips translation of Colossians 1, especially v20.
“Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that every thing was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through him, and for him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation. And now he is the head of the body which is composed of all Christian people. Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is, therefore, justly called the Lord of all. It was in him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through him God planned to reconcile in his own person, as it were, everything on earth and everything in Heaven by virtue of the sacrifice of the cross.”
Now, that’s the cure for hayfever- and every broken part of our lives and communities!
The Reflectionary 