6 mins
Biblical plants and sacred spaces
ONE of the joys of the enforced lockdown created by the Coronavirus Covid-19 (for some people) was the rediscovery of gardens – and their ability to act as sacred spaces.
For those blessed by garden space, or even a small area where scents and plants can grow (a window ledge or a balcony), it can also be an opportunity to create sacred spaces.
These can be places of retreat from homes filled with anxiety or the stresses of isolation, but also places where scents, sounds and smells dominate, lifting mood but also offering a direct connection to the Bible. They can also be immensely practical – small herbs are not only aromatic but can be used to flavour food.
There are a number of plants mentioned in the Bible and despite the differences in climate, it is possible to grow some of them in Scottish soil! With the easing of lockdown restrictions, one place worth a visit for both gardeners and theology students will undoubtedly be the Biblical Garden in Elgin.
Situated around the corner from the ruins of historic Elgin Cathedral, the garden was generally open from May to September (prior to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic). First opened in 1996, it was created by trainees from Moray Council’s parks and recreation department and is now developed by horticulture students from Moray College, the council and ‘Friends of the Biblical Garden’.
This unique garden houses all 110 plants referenced in the Bible but also includes sculptures illustrating the parables.
The gardens, maintained by horticulture students, are also a haven for those seeking a place of peace and spiritual solitude and have undoubtedly become a sacred space during their months of opening.
The Elgin Biblical Garden includes many donations (including a number from schools) which have helped recreate the growing conditions of the biblical plants, but the garden continues to evolve and grow and draws visitors back year after year.
The garden includes a desert area which seeks to recreate Mount Sinai and the cave of the Resurrection and has been created around the design of a central cross.
Undoubtedly creating and maintaining such a garden is a huge commitment, but it is possible to create your own space, connected to the Bible with just a small number of plants which are readily available. The Rev David Coleman of Eco- Congregation Scotland firmly believes there is a theology of plants – even in the midst of an overgrown wilderness.
“It’s clear that ‘wilderness’ is not lifeless ‘desert’, but perhaps more, as the Celtic Christians would have sought it out, a ‘deserted place’, where you can escape the bustle and listen for the voice of God. But can there be a wilderness in the midst of a city? The last few months, when we hear the birds as the traffic subsided, suggest there can.” Of the plants referenced in the Bible, perhaps four of the easiest to grow (and perhaps some of the most fragrant) are coriander, dill, hyssop and mint. All can be grown from seed on a window ledge or planted on balconies or in gardens to create the scents and seasonings which would have been familiar to those featured in the Bible.
Hyssop itself provides a direct link to the Cross as David explains: “The hyssop that comforts and eases pain on the cross (John 19:28–30) reminds of our awesome debt to the healing powers of plants, celebrated in Revelation 21, where the leaves of ‘the tree’ (and when you read this, ‘the tree’ implies wonderful diversity) are for the healing of the nations. A right relationship with this part of fellow creation implies justice and peace as well. Out of utter practicality, monasteries and Christian communities cultivated medicinal plants, as do we, though they’re so often masked by blisterpacked pills.” On a floral front, anemones, crocus and irises are referenced in the Bible which are three fairly common flowers in Scottish gardens which are easy to grow. Even weeds such as thistles or nettles merit a mention and offer further biblical connections. Apple, bay, cypress and elm trees are among those commonly found in Scotland which are also mentioned in the Bible.
Photo: iStock
Even vegetables such as cucumber, onion and garlic are mentioned within the pages of the Bible and growing them can provide a physical connection with the past.
The plants and trees are timeless reminders of biblical times and can provide welcome shade and sanctuary in bigger spaces.
All plants mentioned in the Bible can provide a backdrop to a sacred space, such as the Elgin Biblical Garden, or simply be part of a cleverly designed place of sanctuary. Gardening experts and designers can offer advice, but much will depend on how a space is used and when it is most likely to be used and whether it is well drained and how much sunlight reaches it.
There have, in recent years, been many examples of local churches using land and space to create unique and innovative examples of sacred space in the form of pilgrim paths or labyrinths or practical gardens growing fruit and vegetables to feed the hungry and isolated and expert gardeners within congregations will undoubtedly have assisted with best advice on planting, soil conditions and crops.
There is also an ongoing trend to leave parts of gardens wild or to buy seeds which will create wildflowers and encourage insects including bees and butterflies.
David explains: “Our recent and timely appreciation of our dependence on pollinating insects surely encourages us to acknowledge their place in our spirituality.
I don’t know how far we may have come in the appreciation of decay: of the sheer beauty of a rotting log, or indeed what goes on inside a compost bin; and yet life continues because life recycles, and plants and fungi are the workers involved.” Planting and cultivating is also known to have therapeutic benefits, along with simply being outdoors and (hopefully) bathed in sunlight. Scents are also known to lift and enhance mood on difficult days.
Reflecting on the role of plants in creating sacred spaces, David adds: “Green leaves do not just feed us, they give us and all other creatures oxygen for life. Not only do they ‘clap their hands’, (watch the trees in a stiff breeze) but plants certainly communicate, and respond to stimuli. They work together.” He adds: “Your garden needs to be someone to ‘tend and keep’ rather than to dominate and ruthlessly exploit. Be wary, please, of popular Bible translations which, in your living memory at least, have ‘weeded out’ references to fellow creatures and replaced these with the assumption that it’s only about people. Again, nothing is absolute and clear-cut, but open up your mind to the partnership of plants and animals in the background of everything you hear, pray and sing in church, and you might find the garden of your faith is richer, lusher, more sustainable and sustaining in the turmoil of present day life.”
”On a floral front, anemones, crocus and irises are referenced in the Bible which are three fairly common flowers in Scottish gardens which are easy to grow.
In these months of summer – particularly in this year when gathering in churches may not be possible in the same way – taking a moment to enjoy moments of peace in a personal outdoor sacred space may deepen spirituality and, by recreating some of the plants of the bible, provide further connections with the early torchbearers of faith.
This article appears in the August 2020 Issue of Life and Work
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