Literal Lilies

by Yael Lachman | published on May 3, 2025

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. – Matthew 6:28-29 (NRSV)  

I used to stumble over Jesus’s lilies. I’m a visual learner: ask me to remember a name or learn a new song, and I’ll picture it in my mind. But I could never quite picture those lilies in a field. I’d seen lilies in many places – in neighborhood gardens, under the redwoods, and all over the chancel steps on Easter morning. But I never once had I seen a lily growing in anything resembling a field.  

Eventually, I figured there was no need to get literal about lilies, especially since scholars aren’t even sure exactly what flower the gospel writer had in mind. So whenever I heard Jesus inviting me to consider the lilies of the field, I pictured daisies blooming on a soccer field. Or a meadow filled with California poppies. Or the bright red anemones that bloom so freely on the hills where Jesus once walked. 

Then I moved to the Willamette Valley. One morning, as I was walking toward my office and its endless list of tasks, I came upon an enormous field of purple camas lilies in full bloom. Those flowers stopped me in my tracks. They took my breath away. They brought my spinning, toiling mind to a halt. All around that field, commuters were honking and speeding and fuming. But the lilies paid them no heed. 

So I sat down at their feet. What else could I do? How often does one find teachers so beautiful and so wise? How often does one get to hear an old, old invitation in a completely new way? I called in late to work. Then I settled down to consider the evidence: abundance beyond toil; fields upon fields of grace.  

Prayer
Holy One, astonish us with the beauty of the world, especially when we think we’ve seen it all.

Yael LachmanAbout the Author
Rev. Yael Lachman is a UCC minister and artist who leads contemplative retreats, art adventures, and worship for all ages, most often in wild places. You can find Yael here.