9/13/2023 5 Comments "Sacrifice and Mutualism" An exploration by Annette Olivia Brown, Christian Author.Mutualism definition:
Mutualisms are defined as interactions between organisms of two different species, in which each organism benefits from the interaction in some way. (Biology dictionary) Mutualism At the end of every winter I am convinced that the fig tree will not return with lush green leaves and purple drops of delightful delicacies. Every year, however, I have been pleasantly surprised by the budding of new leaves on lack lustre branches that seem dry and diminished of any promise of life. The fig tree is mentioned several times in the Bible. Many people are familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, who are described as the first man and woman, created by God. In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve use fig leaves to cover themselves when they became aware of their “nakedness”: “ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loin cloths for themselves.” Genesis 2:7 “ This reflection, however, is focused on the fig fruits and not the leaves. We will explore important factors in the construction of the fig fruit and the relationship the construction of specific types of figs have to the act of sacrifice and the gift of salvation. I discovered a fig tree in the back garden several years ago. I was reminded of scripture that included references to fig trees, however, I was not familiar with the structure of a fig tree at the time. I had never seen figs on a tree and I was very apprehensive during my first interaction and consequent exploration of them. When I finally decided to taste a whole fig, after a lot of research and inquiry, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the taste and the texture of this fruit. The figs of this particular tree have a royal, shiny, purple hue. Pollinated or not pollinated, this is the question… There are many different varieties of figs in the United States that do not require pollination. “These days many of the fig varieties that we buy in grocery stores and at farmers markets in the US don’t require pollination… the Calimyrna, which has a yellow-green skin and is typically sold dried, requires fig wasps for pollination. “There’s no real way to tell from the outside, but if the fig contains seeds it will have been pollinated [by a fig wasp],” says Shanahan. (What do you mean there are dead wasps in my figs? Francis, Ali September 7,2022) https://www.bonappetit.com/story/figs-and-wasps Mutual coexistence In order to reproduce, a female wasp will crawl into a fig and lay its eggs. The antenna and wings are broken. “To pollinate these species, a female fig wasp, just a couple of millimeters long, forces her way into a nonedible, unripe male-behaving fig where she lays her eggs in the flowers. Along the way, her antennae snap and her wings are yanked from her body—“it’s a tight squeeze,” says Shanahan—leaving her no way out. Her wingless male offspring mate with the winged female offspring (yes, they’re sisters) before using their huge jaws to chomp tunnels through the fig that will allow the ladies to leave. But before she bids adieu, that fertilized female wasp collects pollen from the male flowers. Then she squeezes out the engineered escape routes, leaving her brothers and mother for dead inside the fig. It’s her duty. Out in the world, she takes flight in search of specific figs, guided by smell, in which to lay her eggs. If the female wasp enters a male-behaving fig, the process repeats identically; she sacrifices her life to further the cause. “ (What do mean there are dead wasps in my figs? Francis, Ali September 7,2022) https://www.bonappetit.com/story/figs-and-wasps Our Savior, Christ Jesus, sacrificed His life for the benefit of all humankind. A wasp, unlike a human or "God man", as Jesus is, doesn’t have a mind to reason or deliberate, however, this action of giving up it’s life in order to provide life to offspring reflects some of the sacrificial actions taken by the Lord. Jesus laid down His life as a sacrifice to the Father and paid the price, once and for all, for all of our sins. Sin separates us from God our Spiritual Father. A remedy for sin was introduced at the Fall of man. An animal was killed in order to provide animal skin covering for Adam and Eve. The sacrificial death of this animal was also a temporary atonement for the sin that caused the relationship with God and humanity to be broken. Christ Jesus came into the world to provide a way for humanity to be reconciled to our Creator God. His sacrificial death paid the price for all sin once and for all!. There is nothing that we can do by ourselves to reconcile ourselves to God. The Lord Jesus, the truth and the life, made a way for us all. A Divine plan Thank God for the divine plan of salvation. The sacrifice of one has provided a way to life, in the spirit, for all humanity. Jesus’ sacrifice is a gift of agape love that we all have the opportunity to accept. There is a mutual obligation created between humans and Christ Jesus. Jesus lived and then chose to lay His life down so that we can have life and that more abundantly. The birth of Christ Jesus, the earthly life journey and current existence by the side of the Father, provides the way to an ongoing, mutually beneficial, coexistence with our Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In the beginning, humans fellowshipped in a sinless coexistence with God. Jesus is the gate that leads us back to this blessed life of living, as one, with God our Creator… forever! The fig is not actually a fruit. The fig is an inflorescence: “ a cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch in a complicated arrangement of branches.” Wikipedia. © 2018-2023 Annette O. Brown Creations, Media. All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured by the author.
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AuthorAnnette Brown embarked on a life journey of Christianity, over 20 years ago. A reflective educator and avid constructivist - reflection has been a part of her daily work and a tool for personal growth and assessment. Birthed out of this practice is reflection connected to divinely inspired insight and revelation . Her first book "Encounters and Reflections - Can you hear me now" encompasses these perspectives through a lens of story telling and photographic images. Archives
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© 2018-2024 Annette O. Brown Creations, Media. All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured by the author.