Photo and Commentary ©2025 Robert Howson
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 3 and 4, 2025
The prophet Jeremiah faced a difficult task, to speak in such clear tones that the citizens of Jerusalem and Judea at large would recognize their own wickedness and change. The Lord gave him this promise, “If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.” (Jeremiah 5:1 NIV) The story sounds similar to the account of Abraham pleading for the deliverance of Sodom if just a few righteous could be found. Sadly, such was not to be. Such was the miserable condition of the capital of the Jewish nation.
So what do these flowers have to do with this less than optimistic passage? A regional botanist from Northern California would identify it as Calochortus amabilis, but it is also loosely referred to as a Globe Lily. More specifically, it is known as Diogenes’ Lantern, and it is here we make our connection with Jeremiah. But to make this connection, we will have to refer back to ancient secular history. Some three hundred years before Christ, there was a Cynic by the name of Diogenes who, according to legend, walked around the city each day with a lit lantern, looking for an honest man. The implication, like that of Jeremiah, is that he failed in his quest. As a side note, another story involving Diogenes took place when he was an old man and encountered a young Alexander the Great. The powerful conqueror asked the aged philosopher what he might do for him, to which Diogenes replied, “Stand out of my sunshine.”
Today we are inundated with a plethora of information, yet the elusive search for truth will apparently continue down until the end of time. Paul described a group of people who are “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” (II Timothy 3:7 NIV) Maybe Diogenes had the right idea after all. A little divine light could go a long way in our personal search for truth.