They shall be like a shrub in the desert—Jeremiah 17:6

Visiting South Africa, one is amazed by the large mammals known as The Big 5: the African lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo. Avian species, too, attract attention, from the African penguins nesting on the shores of Simonstown, to ostriches, to multicolored waterfowl. But a visit to the Stellenbosch University Botanical Gardens reveals an unexpectedly fascinating and rare organism, a member of the pea family: Polhillia groenewaldii du Preez, discovered by an intern and described by a masters student three years ago. This woody shrub grows up to four feet tall on a south facing slope in vegetation dominated by shrubs and succulents.There are only four of the plants confirmed living in the wild near the village of Barrydale. In early 2023, seven plants were planted in the university’s Botanical Gardens, the only other living plants of the species on the planet, save two in the university greenhouse. 

In this Sunday’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, the first of three Sundays featuring the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus speaks with the outcasts of society, those who do not receive the attention of the powerful and wealthy.

O God, guide us to bear witness wherever we may be and to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world so that all may find hope in your love, receive nourishment through your teachings, and build a community open to all, without exception.