For Wilshire Baptist Church
It was a surprise but not unusual that we were gifted with a box of fruit and other goodies from Harry & David during the holidays. That happens every so often and it’s always appreciated. But what was most surprising was a note inside the box.
A key feature of any Harry & David gift box is always the pears, and I have to be honest and say that I’m not a pear person. To me, pears are just apple wannabes that have gone soft and grainy. But Harry & David is famous for their pears, and thus the reason for this note in the box:
“Notice unique markings on your Royal Riviera ® Pears? These blemishes are called wind scars and are the result of high winds whipping tree branches and causing abrasions to the skin of our delicate pears. Sadly, these same winds contributed to the spread of devastating fires in our Southern Oregon community — destroying homes and displacing countless people.”
The note continued: “We often pride ourselves in the beauty of our Royal Rivera ® Pears, and this harvest is no exception, if only in a different way. These scars are a reminder of what our community has been through and how we’ve rallied to support one another. The untouched, juicy delicious interior of the pear demonstrates it’s what’s inside that counts.”
This is where I usually pivot toward an analogy, and so here I go: It’s hard to look past the scars right now. We’ve been scarred by the winds of change, the winds of disease, the winds of unrest, the winds of turmoil, the winds of disagreement, the winds of injustice. It’s hard to see past the scarred surface and see the goodness that should define us as a society, a nation and even as a species.
But, I’m not living in despair. There were some wonderful crisp apples in that box, and LeAnn can testify that the pears were indeed delicious. Best of all, the couple that sent the gift box are just about the sweetest people you could ever know.