structure and space

It happened at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church some time after the Memorial Garden, pictured above, had been completed.

The Memorial Garden by the way is a beautiful space, cruciform in shape and surrounded by brick walls that give it a sense of a place apart. The Memorial Garden was the vision of a number of church members, led by Polly M., who also selected all of the plantings therein, with an eye toward length of bloom (early spring to very late fall) and also plants with Biblical associations. It is in fact a roofless chapel with a simple and dignified stone table that has on its surface an off-center vase for cut flowers, permanently affixed. The church and the Fox Chapel community are both blessed by its presence. Not only had Polly designed the garden and selected the plantings, she had overseen the planting thereof, and, being an avid gardener, was often to be seen tending the garden quietly on weekdays. It always looked gorgeous under her watchful care.

The Memorial Garden is situated along Springhouse Lane (see my earlier post) in the elbow of lawn between the Sanctuary and the church offices. As I have told you in that earlier post, we who served on the church staff parked our substandard automobiles along Springhouse Lane of a Sunday morning so as to keep the parking lot free for church members and visitors.

One Sunday after a long and busy morning of worship and teaching, round about one in the afternoon, perhaps a year or so after the Memorial Garden was completed, and the plantings thriving, I was exiting the church office by going down those stairs and then outside right by the Memorial Garden. It was a lovely day, sunny and mild, but even so I was surprised to see Mrs. A. standing on the walkway there, that led to the lane, instead of being home enjoying a late lunch.

“John, I wanted to point out something to you,” said she. I had this uncanny sense that she had waited there just to speak with me.

“Yes?” I asked.

“The Memorial Garden is full of weeds,” the implication hung in the air that I should do something about that, and immediately if not sooner. I guess you could say she was a woman with “Attitude”. It is a polite, politically correct way of saying someone is pushy. Arrogant. Yes, scratch the surface and the right word might be rude. (You know, those things that St. Paul says Love isn’t?)

Maybe that is why I responded thus:

“Aww, Carol,” I said, “Can you tell the difference between flowers and weeds?”

She acknowledged that she did.

“I am so pleased to know that,” I continued. “I will call Polly tomorrow and let her know that you’d be glad to help her with the weeding…”

Which, of course, was exactly the right thing to say.  And, of course, Carol never did lift a finger to help with the weeding.