My son-in-law is a high school principal. This past week his school has had teachers and staff back from summer break, but the students don’t come until this Tuesday, yes, the day after Labor Day. Imagine that. Many of you will say, “That’s the way it should be.”
He shared with me a talk his assistant principal gave to the teachers and staff in a team-building exercise getting ready for the students to arrive this coming week.
As it turns out, the object lesson she used was not her original idea, but she offered it in a most excellent way. It’s an illustration that apparently is somewhat well known, although I myself had never heard it until now.
I greatly appreciated this object lesson, and want to share it with you here through the lens of my Christian faith.
The question is two-fold. First, do you want to be a walnut tree or a marigold flower? Second, who do you want around you, a walnut tree or a marigold flower?
According to dendrology, which is the study of trees, the walnut tree gives off a toxic substance that can inhibit growth, wilt, and ultimately kill any and all nearby vegetation. Apparently, where a walnut grove exists, no other plants or vegetation are present. The toxic trees have killed them off.
Conversely, according to floriculture, which is the study of flowers, marigold flowers through the substances they produce protect a wide variety of plants from pests and weeds. Marigolds make gardens more bountiful in flowers and vegetation. They aid and enhance the life of every other living thing in the garden.
The corollary to our human existence and our human experience of community is pretty obvious.
Two Bible passages come to mind.
The first is Proverbs 6:17-19 (TPT). “Putting others down while considering yourself superior, spreading lies and rumors, … plotting evil in your heart toward another, gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong, spouting lies in false testimony, and stirring up strife between friends. These are entirely despicable to God!”
In the object lesson, being a walnut tree is entirely despicable to God.
So, we must ask ourselves, “Do we want to be a walnut tree?” And if we say, “No, of course not,” we must go one step further and give ourselves a deep-down honest evaluation. Are we maybe sometimes or in certain situations a walnut tree, speaking and spreading toxin to those around us so as to “inhibit growth, wilt, and ultimately ‘kill’ any and all those nearby us?”
Again, we may say quickly that we do not want to be a walnut tree, but what about those situations where our convictions differ quite distinctly from someone nearby?
What about the topic of politics? Might we be quick to attack someone who holds a quite different position? Is our main response to try to tear them down, call them names, and silence them?
What about the topic of faith and religion? Is our first line of defense to give way to belittling, name-calling, and vitriol?
What about in our daily lives spent with those closest to us day in and day out, either colleagues, or classmates, or co-workers, or family? Might we be prone to put-downs or criticisms or sarcasm?
Walnut trees. Poisoning and wilting and killing all those around. Entirely despicable to God.
Here’s the second Bible passage applicable here.
It’s 1 Peter 3: 8, 11b (TPT). “Live in harmony with one another and demonstrate sincere love, sympathy, and kindness toward others. Let humility describe who you are as you dearly love one another. Always turn from what is wrong and cultivate what is good; eagerly pursue peace in every relationship.”
In our object lesson, being a marigold flower mirrors God’s way of living. It is the best way of living. It is the way of living which aids and enhances every living person around us.
Do we want to be marigolds? Yes, of course. Would our world and the people around us be better if we were marigolds and not walnut trees? Yes, of course.
But this calls for self-reflection, as well.
What about the topic of politics? Our world and the people around us would be such a better place if we could listen with sincerity and speak with courteous conviction. Give it a try, especially in these next weeks leading up to our presidential election.
What about the topic of our faith and religion? Our world and the people around us would be such a better place if we could listen with sincerity and speak with courteous conviction. Give it a try, especially in these days of significant divisive differences even within the world of Christendom.
Give it a try, especially in these days of significant divisive differences among world religions. To be a marigold is not to forfeit your own convictions, but to let your convictions be heard from the voice of love, not hate.
What about in our daily lives spent with those closest to us day in and day out, either colleagues, or classmates, or co-workers, or family? A marigold word spoken in love and support, a marigold moment of genuine listening, or a marigold effort at peaceful reconciliation all will make our world and the people around us a garden of healthy, thriving living beings.
Give it a try, especially in our current climate of rampant friction, division, and brokenness.
These are really kind of silly questions, aren’t they? Do you want to be a walnut tree or a marigold flower? Do you want walnut trees or marigold flowers around you?
Silly questions? Maybe. But hopefully this little object lesson will encourage the right answer to be more of a reality.
Thank you, Assistant Principal Beth for your spark for this article.
[Dr. Justin Kollmeyer, a thirty-eight year resident of Fayette County, is a retired Lutheran pastor. He offers his preaching and teaching ministry to any church or group seeking or needing a Christ centered, Biblically based, and traditionally grounded sermon or teaching. Reach him at justin.kollmeyer@gmail.com.]
