Make every effort to be there!

That was the message I got from Marie on Sunday evening. Something is happening that is quite unusual at the Eden Project.

The Titan Arum is coming into flower!

You may well ask what that is all about. The titan Arum is the worlds largest flowering plant and it is coming into flower. It is in the rainforest biome at the Eden Project in Cornwall. The flower which is notoriously difficult to cultivate also has something other than size as a distinctive. It is known as the corpse flower because when in full bloom its scent is like that of rotting flesh

See: http://www.edenproject.com

We dutifully went along. As members of the Eden Project we can show our pass and pop in and so it was without cost. The flower is large; getting on for 3 metres and is very impressive. It is not pretty and thankfully due to it not having fully opened was without its stinking trademark. But it was well worth seeing and we are glad to have been there.

But why?

Tim Grigg the expert who has been able to cultivate this plant has now had a number of successes has made it possible for the average Brit to see something that normally only occurs once in a blue moon and on the other side of the world in an inaccessible jungle in Indonesia. That is worth going to see.

It all reminds me of the gospel of Jesus which makes it possible for all who come to Him to see God. You might think that such an offer would cause many to come to find him but it does not work that way. I have now been to the Eden Project 5 or 6 times and have never seen the car park as full as it was today. You see many had heard of a flower coming out and wanted to see it.

Some heard by word of mouth, others by website information. Even been broadcast in the media I am told. Word has got out and people want ot experience the delights of seeing this most extraordinary plant. The Eden project has sent out it's evangelists with the good news of the Titan Arum and people have been affected by going and seeing for themselves.

It is the same for Christians we are called to tell others about the Son of God who uniquely came once in order to die for sinners to be saved from the penalty they deserve. That is the most important event in the whole of human history and we have been affected by it!

I wonder why we do not broadcast it aloud.

Especially when the Lord tells us that this is our duty.