on the crown of thorns as a sign of man's corruption of creation

perhaps this was influenced by the fact that pope francis's encyclical on the environment will be made public soon.  whether or not it is (i don't know), these thoughts first came to me during meditation this past sunday.

i was looking at the crucifix in chapel, and focused on the crown of thorns.

the crown of thorns.

fashioned by cruel men from a plant.  embedded so painfully into the Savior's skin, surrounding his head.

natural, yet corrupted.

God created.  He made it, and it was good.

but what of this crown?  the thorns so sharp.  why the thorns?  would God have created an instrument of suffering?

there is a school of thought that said that, before the fall of adam and eve, all creation was in complete harmony with each other.  the lamb slept beside the lion.  but when adam sinned, he brought the rest of creation down with him.  the lion against the lamb.

did this plant have thorns before the fall?  did adam cause it to grow thorns?

and yet we know that such devices ultimately developed as a means of survival.  all this plant wanted to do (inasmuch as a plant can "want") was survive.  the thorns developed in order for the plant and its descendants to continue living.

but this device, a device of defense, a device intended for life, became a device of suffering.  a device intended to harm.  a device of offense.

twisted--literally!--by man, a plant, which only wanted to survive, became a weapon of attack.  an attack against the One who made it.

how sad must that plant have felt!  created to live, it was forced to participate in the death of Life.  forced to attack the Son of its Creator.

oh adam, what have you done?  this nature, corrupted by your first sin, continues to be corrupted by you.

but God made it to be good.  very good.

oh, but what rejoicing this plant must have felt, when on that third day it witnessed the light breaking forth from that dug-up rock!  it must be so honored to have become the crown of the King who lives and reigns forever!

and so i can only imagine that this plant's offspring will one day no longer have a need for sharp thorns.  no longer will men cut it and twist it and make each other bleed with it.


[it goes without saying that i'm not a theologian and i hold no teaching authority whatsoever, and that these are my personal thoughts.  if i've deviated from Catholic doctrine, i didn't intend it, and i welcome corrections.]