I love taking pictures of flowers, especially if there is a bee hanging around. Have you ever wondered how a bee finds a particular flower?
After a bit of online research, I discovered that flowers use two methods for attracting bees. First, the put out a scent that lets the bee know that there are flowers with nectar in the area. And then they use the colors of the flower to draw them in to a particular bloom. Since the nectar is the source of the scent, it signals that the plant is ready for the bee. These scents vary from minty to musty, pungent to putrid. They can travel long distances and help the bees find what they are seeking.
The bees are equipped with very sensitive scent receptors on their antennae. Each bee relies on the antennae to find the best nectar for them and their hive. I wonder how well these antennae work if the bee is distracted by worry or fear? Would the bees have trouble “smelling the scent” if the air was filled with smoke or other pollutants? Even worse, if the bee was angry or depressed, it may “smell” the nectar but it would not care.
The human spirit depends on the scent of love to find all that is good in life. A healthy spirit depends on being able to use our body-mind-soul to follow the scent of love in the general direction of our happiness.
What happens when our spirit is distracted by worry or fear? How accurate is our ability to catch a whiff of love when our life is filled with the acrid smoke or racism and other pollutants like fear-mongering and hatred? And, even when we catch the scent of love on the gentle breeze, will our depression or anger steal away our desire to seek it out?
Healthy spirituality assists us in fine tuning our “antennae” so that we can find and love those around us. It allows us to enter into loving relationships. It offers us the resilience we need to bounce when the circumstances are challenging. An open and active human spirit that engages our world allows us to follow the opportunities for love. In doing so, we discover the depth, beauty, and wondrous mystery of abundant living.
Our world is filled with the scent of love. It invites us into meaningful relationships and offer us deep and rich experiences in living. These scents drift by on the gentle breezes of encounters with strangers and friends, alike. They reawaken our hopes for a life of joy and hope. They inspire us to take care of and to trust others. May each of us tend our “antennae” well. They offer us the opportunity to follow the scent of love that flows from the very heart of our God.
Blessings,
Bob