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There is much more about this so-called garden pest which makes them beneficial. Go to the website and see for yourself. The purpose of the 'Be Nice' week is to encourage gardeners to keep a few nettles in some patch of the garden. Needless to say, my nettles are still there and I am happy to proudly show you them if you come to the Garden Party next Sunday!
So often things we think are useless and ought to be got rid of turn out to have properties we never dreamt of. Nature is full of wonderful variety and perhaps we should not be too hasty in our judgements.
That goes for people too. We live in a world which constantly judges others and in some cases our prejudice results in our creating a great deal of hurt and harm. How easy it is to think of some as worthless and treat them as if they are sub-human. Our history (recent as well as distant) is full of human exploitation of others - the injustices towards the third world; the exploitation and trafficking of people; the way we treat the homeless; are just examples of a much bigger scenario where people are treated a bit like nettles - we don't love them and we treat them as worthless. People who experience this begin to feel worthless too and there are many whose self- image has been shaped by the unloving judgement of others.
Today, on Pentecost Sunday we celebrate again the sending to us of the Holy Spirit. God cares for all of us so much that He sends His Spirit to fill our hearts and lives with His power and that power is His Will to love and to see good in all of us. We must do the same. Being Nice to each other isn't about being bland and greeting each other with a simpering smile. It's about celebrating the infinite worth of each one of us, as God does.
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