Goldenrod

September 5, 2018

The goldenrod is in full blossom. Fields left fallow are awash in its vibrant hue; on my way to work this morning, I passed at least three that stretched from the road to the woods beyond, each one reminding me of the autumn that nips at the heels of the summer heat under which we swelter today. Every time I see the goldenrod, I long to be able once more to be checking my hives for the nectar they provide the honeybees. Around here, goldenrod is a primary source of sustenance for the honeybees, a symbiotic relationship that is inexplicable apart from divine forethought. 

Scientists are telling us that the possible demise of the honeybee could be catastrophic to the food chain. In California it’s the almonds; in Florida it’s the citrus; around here it’s everything from apples to well...the goldenrod. Billions of dollars are at stake, as well as the loss of major food crops upon which we depend for survival. For years, honeybee colonies only had to contend with enemies such as Varroa mites, Nosema, and Foulbrood; in recent years, entire apiaries have been devastated by Colony Collapse Disorder, where apparently healthy colonies suddenly just die. Pesticides take their toll too, so that the amateur apiarist has a much more challenging task than ever before.

I miss keeping bees. Maybe next year when I actually retire, I’ll have the time to devote to this most fascinating hobby. In the meantime, they remind me of the intricacy of God’s creation, the interdependency of its flora and fauna. I talked this afternoon with a woman who identified herself as an atheist, something I’ve never understood. I can understand someone who isn’t convinced and calls himself an agnostic, but to declare oneself to be atheist, to say categorically, “There is no God,” is to me the epitome of arrogance. In the vastness of this universe, how much knowledge can we claim to have? With our pitiful thimbleful of knowledge, to make such a categorical and sweeping statement doesn’t make sense to me. It takes more faith than I have.

Tonight I am thankful for the goldenrod and the honeybees, and for the relationship between them that reminds me of an amazingly awesome God.