We grow lots of roses from different nations on our land. My wife planted an “American beauty” on the curb which faces the old folks home (actually the civil war widow’s home, which still stands along with its 200 year old live oaks across our street). The rose was developed at Texas A and M which is one of the older and largest agricultural university in America, and is a few hours from our home. Gardening is an old and popular tradition in this region. But none of that is my point.

When I look at the rose named American Beauty, it makes me think of different cultural ideas and ideals of Beauty itself.

This particular rose is what you would imagine America to be like, if it were a rose- very pink, large upright, extroverted, and freely giving itself outwards. Not too much hiddenness like the french roses, not as layered and cupped as the English, not super subtle, but really beautiful and life affirming and visibly unabashedly prolific.

There are more blooms on that bush than most of our other rose bushes. And it is our most public rose. The easiest to share with the most types of people. Everybody likes it.

America has been called a brazen leader, at time presumptuous, immature, but if you look at her ideal beauty, or a flower that you would name as your nation, you see what America likes: hardy extroverted generous, voluminous, multiplying prolific, easy to tend, easy to like roses.

Beauty is not always fragile is one thing this rose is saying today.

Each nation has ideal beauties, but also I think, each culture reflects unique aspects of God’s Beauty.

People are often intimidated by roses, because of their beauty, and perhaps because there have been so many kitschy poems written about them over the years. But roses are plants, and are tougher and more resilient than you might think at first.

Beauty is sometimes hardy. Americans like that aspect especially in the southwest and frontier regions. Historically, people like overcomers here.

I learn a lot from roses, which were developed in each nation. I think about what they reveal about the identity of each place. And how local soils can bring out certain dormant characteristics in roses. Some aspects of a rose, which might not reveal themselves in the south of France, will here. Others get muted in alien soil. When the nations dialogue, we get new hybrids and new compositions. Some work, some don’t. But the conversation itself teaches us lots about how the gifts of the nations could, and one day will, work together as unity with diversity. We can co-inpire one another.

I think about how the gifts of the nations are revealed in what and how they choose to do gardening, or architectural design, how they cultivate and co-inspire over time, certain characteristics, they want to see highlighted. How outer expression flows from core identity, and how this gets symbolized even in our cultivation and hybridization of nature.

I like this American beauty, though sometimes i get bored with how obvious it is. Still, there are days when i watch an elderly woman smelling or admiring its shape and composition, and I think, yeah America, at her best, is still generous with its beauty. Heavy handed, but also open handed.

Although there is not always enough emphasis on inner or hidden life, she is strong, caring and offers herself and gifts freely. And she really is beautiful, in her own way.

Regardless, i like considering roses, and what they point towards and express from. We can read a lot through a rose.