Last year, my side yard was full of bright, pink hibiscus plants - imagine a row of these flowers running in a 50-foot line. Last year's hard frost killed the whole row, leaving behind nothing but a long gray line of deadness and some fond memories. Being the kind of person who would rather do something myself than pay someone to do it, I began trimming this long gray line and pulling up the roots.
Hibiscus does uproot lightly. Their roots are deep and wide and they cling to the earth with tenacity. Providentially, the local arborist was driving by and he stopped by long enough to give some expert advice: "The life is in the roots- you'd be a fool to dig all this up. Let me trim the branches. Then wait for better weather."
30 minutes and two-hundred dollars later, Advent happened. With no visible reason to believe otherwise, I awaited beneficial rains and warmer weather and in time, a leaf or two assured me that my beloved pink hibuscus would return.
The second Sunday of Advent, with its image of the shoot springing forth from the root of Jesse, bears a blessing whether we await Christmas, welcome a new priest, or say goodbye to a beloved pastor. We are called by God to work hard at putting the past into the past so that we might greet emerging growth with generosity and joy.
