Contrast

"If your eye is generous, your whole being is full of light!" Jesus

Rose Pogonia Orchid and Cinquefoil growing in a little remnant bog at Laudholm Farms just down the road from me here in southern Maine. I had taken many portraits of the Rose Pogonia elsewhere in the bog before I found this flower growing over a few blossoms of Cinquefoil. The contrast between the delicate pink of the orchid and the bright yellow of the cinquefoil was too good to resist. It is a contrast that accentuates the beauty of both flowers...and it helps that the cinquefoil picks up the yellow in the Rose Pogonia's tongue and the yellow tint on the back of the orchid's leaves. Then you have the striking contrast between form and shape...the ornate orchid blossom and the utilitarian cinquefoil...and yet, both flowers serve the same purpose for their plants. Finally, you have the difference between a relatively rare orchid, and one of the most common summer wildflowers...growing wild in fields and dooryards. You might say the contrast sets off the differences and yet, picks up on the underlying similarity between the flowers. 

I would like to think that this contrast works as well for human beings: that our great differences only draw attention to what unites us. The generous eye can celebrate the differences, and enjoy them, enjoy every bit of rich contrast...but it sees the underlying unity...the basic shared identity of of all God's children. So whether you are a rare Rose Pogonia Orchid, or a simple common Cinqueflower, take some joy this Sunday in yourself and in the others around you. Happy Sunday!