Flowers of the Field

Many kinds of blooms. 

Most humans, it would appear, seem to think they have found “the one true answer to meaning, life, and the universe”. Perhaps this is a part of the love of self we need in order to be mentally healthy.  We may all be wrong, we may all be right; most probably the answer lays in the middle where no one of us can see clearly.

Each of us is a product of nature and nurture that has grown into its environment from our genetic starting point, influenced by family and culture to become what we are. These two factors, nature and nurture, define a kind of limit of what each of us can be. It is difficult for a Utah Mormon to become a Southern Baptist, or a Sunni Pakistani to become an Iranian Shiite.

Human beings' beliefs can be thought of as a field of many flowers. Each plant breeds its own kind and prospers or not in the ground it finds itself. It is very difficult for any plant to become another kind, although it rarely does happen.

When we argue about the merits of being a rose versus an orchid, a Hindu versus a Buddhist, we are re-affirming ourselves. A rose may wish to convert the orchid into another rose, but it is improbable and very difficult as it challenges the orchid to disavowed being an orchid.

Perhaps it better for all flowers to understand the beauty of diversity of flowers in the field, to embrace the awesome nature of it all, and allow us each to grow and flourish.

Those who would by force, by reason, by coercion, or by destruction, attempt to change one kind of flower into another work against the good of the whole, like some disease upon the land. Does this make them then like a type of parasite?

Another view would be that even parasites add to the diversity of beauty of the whole, challenging each plant to become stronger. Then even the parasite has value to the whole, but not the individual.

Those who would make us all the same type of flower, damaging many, are hurting the great beauty of diversity that we all represent. In our diversity we unite to struggle against the mono-culture of the field becoming just one kind of plant.

As a daisy, I resist the parasites and try to remain a daisy.

For each of us to celebrate our own belief system is generally a good thing. As long as we do not threaten the whole field. To step outside what we are, even for a brief moment, allows us to see the great beauty of the field we all grow in.