Thorns and Roses

If nature is a book written by God, one thing it teaches is that, in this world, we often encounter good things mixed together with bad—roses with thorns. While few people seek out the bad, it often accompanies the good we do seek. Even our own hearts are a mixture of thorns and roses. But the good news of the Cross is that the power of God’s love surpasses any of the bad things we experience. The new life that Jesus brings does not shield us against the thorns of life; but it does promise that, whatever evil we may find, it need not have the last word because “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Rom 8.28). Of course, this does not mean that we should put God to the test by doing evil “so that good may come” of it (3.8). But it does hold out hope for the triumph of good in the midst of any evil, and it alerts us to look for the roses hidden among the thorns we stumble upon. It gives us a faith capable of renewing our confidence and strength in the face of adversity, like Daniel facing the lions, the three young men facing the fiery furnace—or Jesus facing the Cross.