The Unseen Gardener

Have you heard this story? I remember reading it in a book, many years ago, but I cannot recall the name of the book. It is very short, but powerful. I will call it “The Unseen Gardener.”

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A certain man set out upon the exploration of a dense jungle somewhere in the heart of the tropics. For many days he trudged through the untamed forests with tangled vines, treacherous swamps, and thick undergrowth. A lesser-determined adventurer would have become discouraged and caused to turn back. But this man had heard rumors of something astounding and magical somewhere in the heart of this wilderness. He was compelled to find out if the rumors were true. He wasn’t exactly sure of what he was seeking, but he had been told that he would know when he came upon it.

As the jungle grew denser, so did the darkness. The daylight penetrated the darkness less and less, only sending down slender beams of sunlight as though coming through holes in an overhead canopy. At long last, reaching a difficult crossing, he jabbed his walking stick ahead in the dim light, pulled his weight across a small bog, and was startled to a stop by his emergence into midday sunlight so brilliant that he could only squint and shade his eyes.

Dumbfounded by what he saw, his jaw dropped in disbelief. He had stepped out of the dark overgrowth into an elegant garden of immense proportions. Out of the chaos, before him he saw
a masterpiece of design, order and beauty. Bordered by manicured hedges, were individual groupings of lilacs, roses, hawthorn and camellias. Clematis gracefully arched over trellises, with cleanly swept pathways beneath. In the distance, at the center of the garden, fruit trees ready for harvest presented offerings of all manner of fruit, some of which looked unfamiliar to him. And in the very center of this magnificent landscape, encircling palms stretched their fronds over a bubbling fountain to form a setting of grace and peace.

Where was the caretaker…the gardener who had created this masterpiece?

“Hello!” he called.

“Anyone here? Hello!”

Silence…a silence that was strangely full, instead of empty. But a silence.

After a thorough exploration of the garden, the explorer made a decision to stay until he discovered the identity of the gardener. He decided that the caretaker must come and go, …so he would just wait.

And wait, he did. For several days. And the strangest thing was that each day when he awoke, the garden looked as freshly groomed as it had on the first day.

But he saw no one. He decided to stake the entire perimeter of the garden and string heavy twine at such a level that could not be circumvented, but when moved or tripped in any way would signal that someone was present.

The signal never came. And the garden remained lovely and perfectly cared for.

The explorer decided that the gardener must come at night to do his work. So instead of retiring for the night, he remained awake and alert, watching for the caretaker and his meticulous gardening. Night after night, no one came.

At last, the explorer knew the answer. He captured many excellent photographs of the garden with his camera, and then started out on his journey back to his home.

He was welcomed with great joy by the residents of the village, who had begun to have grave concern as to his whereabouts. He joyously told them that he had found the secret of the jungle. He shared the photographs of his discovery with them, and they were all amazed at the beautiful garden, which was carefully cultivated and groomed in the depths of the jungle.

Then they asked, “Is there someone who does this magnificent work?”

“Yes, there is.” he replied.

“Did you meet him?”

“No.”

“Did you even see him?”

“No.”

“Well, what proof do you have that a gardener exists?”

The explorer smiled knowingly and once again spread out the photographs before them. “It is in the photographs” he replied.

They gathered around and bent over the glossy prints, shaking their heads.

“My dear friends”, the explorer explained. “There is indisputable proof that a gardener exists.”

“The garden itself, is the proof.”

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“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” Romans 1:20 NIV

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