Letter from the President June 2020
“A Flower Made the Difference”
Sequestered at home because of COVID-19, my early morning walks are now treasured rather than seen as a requirement for health reasons. This spring I take note of every flower I walk past, and I have smelled quite a few roses. Recently, I saw a unique flower that caused my heart to be filled with joy. This flower had purple pedals and at the center a tightly packed cluster of golden filaments and anther. I was utterly amazed by its beauty.
My first thought was, how does a flower of such beauty come into being? What steps took place from its first inception eons ago to this present-day beauty? I found myself captivated by nature and how it contributes to spirituality and wholeness in life. What would planet Earth be like without the plant kingdom? It would be as deserted as the surface of our moon.
I have defined spirituality as the human ability to connect – to connect to other people, to connect to our environment and its creatures, to connect with that transcendent Mystery many of us call God, or Allah, or Krishna or that we refuse to name, standing in awe before the vastness of the Universe, and finally to connect to our true self. Connecting in all these dimensions brings about wholeness to one’s life.
I believe God has designed us to connect, and the beautiful flower I saw connected me to the plant kingdom like none has ever done before. I believe that happened because I had become so alert to the beauty of the newly blossoming spring flowers. It may have been the fruit of having been quarantined in my home for so long.
Spirituality requires that we become alert. And a flower did that for me. It made the difference. Its beauty invited me in and caused my soul to celebrate the moment – that very present moment. A simple glance revealed to me nature like nothing had done before. I was awakened and in a real sense a part of me came alive – spiritually alive.
The scientist in me made me want to take a course in biology and learn how that flower came to be. Had the hand of a horticulturalist played a role or was this something that God started long ago? This plant has now blossomed just for me to walk by on a Friday morning in May and see its glory, be humbled, and become grateful.
I would love to know this flower’s story, its history. I don’t even know its name, but I will find out. This flower has touched my soul and I wonder if I will ever be the same.
John K. Graham, MD, DMin President & CEO
Institute for Spirituality and Health