Every small space is significant, and part of ‘our common home’

By Margarita Byron fcJ

A few days ago I was reading the daily email from Richard Rohr where he quoted from the theologian Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam:

“In the second chapter of the Gospel of John, there is a verse that the disciples attribute to Jesus as he drives out money lenders and sellers of sheep and cattle from the temple of Jerusalem: “Zeal for your house will consume me” [John 2:17). Prior to that verse Jesus tells those who are despoiling the holy place: “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” [John 2:16]. . . .

Today, we could, and probably we should, understand this ‘house’ as our common planetary home. ‘ “

Here in London we have just completely renovated our house – literally, the building – so as to make it functional for our new spirituality centre and as a home for the FCJ sisters living and ministering from there.  We have tried to construct with a ‘zeal’ that is economical, apostolic and ecological.

And now we are looking at our very small and very precious garden space.  This small parcel of land is ‘part of our common planetary home’.  How shall we use it and ‘share’ it?

Well, for those who spend time in our retreat centre, it will be available to them – a little haven in our London streets.  Hopefully people walking along the road will be able to see some of its colour and smell various perfumes.  The people living in the flats to our east  will enjoy the contribution we are adding to their efforts or create a flower patch in a corner of their asphalted entrance area.

But, not only will visitors enjoy our garden.  We’re making sure there will be plants that will encourage butterflies and bees to find refuge and safety in the garden.   Water for birds, seed when necessary.  And care that every thing will flourish as far as possible so that we may even have plants that we can give away.

And, of course we ourselves will delight in the beauty we can see, will gather flowers occasionally, will enjoy the herbs that we will grow in raised beds along the side of the building and will rejoice in the peace and creativity that our common home is offering us.