Letter to Monty 46

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Dear Monty,

'Who is it that obscures my counsel without knowledge'

Interesting that in answer to Job's complaints - God points out the nature of creatures, they are what they are, and we cannot change them, just like dog or stars or wind or rain or even box blight. We live we die, we are all flawed judges of each other. God is not a man that he should lie.

Knowing God is God is knowledge, but we obscure his counsel by our own wisdom, programs, ideas and expertise.

Monty, you got a drubbing on Twitter for your suggestions on planting fragrant shrubs, and how to pot up herby cuttings. I think it is undeserved - there are many who do not know how to do such things, there will always be those who learn, and I understand the argument that if you are going to teach you need to have knowledge, but there are different kinds of knowledge. Perhaps you are better at creativity in gardening rather than horticulture in its 'purest' sense ?
I noted the shed behind you loosing its roofing felt - it had a kind of familiar scruffiness (familiar because my sheds are scruffy) I also like the way you do not let blight defeat you.

There is a debate going on in my head constantly, this debate is based on what was and what is - everyone now has access to knowledge - but sometimes our own knowledge, our own wisdom, our own counsel obscures a deeper wisdom that is rooted in a place which is almost intangible amongst our own noise.

Again it is the garden that speaks to me - prosperity/perfection to me is not what my head thinks it is (believe me my head still strives for prosperity) No it is what my heart responds to.

This morning sitting in a very ordinary concrete paved 'patio' (ugh, I prefer the word terrace - sounds grand and plays to my foolishness) - anyway - just looking at a chair, some foliage and flower and the geometry it creates lifts my heart out of gloom, and it cost nothing apart from patience, pruning and hacking (I have little knowledge of a horticulture) and nature - what plants just do - and I have my own little corner of Ninfa - wow!



Now, if you saw it - you would not see it - if you see what I mean.

Great is the mystery of godliness.

Amen.

Paul.

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