[pullquote align=”right”]Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.[/pullquote]

Like the author of the Gospel of Mark, I, too, have an abnormal appreciation for “the green grass” as of this week. Leaving our dry, arid region of the country we made the two-day drive to the capital. What is remarkable about this overland trek is that you have the unique opportunity to start off in near desert and then gradually watch the terrain become greener, wetter, and muddier. Our first moment of new-found excitement came when we saw a river full of water several hours south of our home. We had not seen that much water in one place for months and months. Friends told us to be on the lookout for hippos where we stopped for a picnic on the river’s edge. For us that day, running water was every bit as interesting as running hippos.

Now in the capital, the temperature is considerably cooler, the grass is considerably more existent, and rain is in the forecast. What a nice change to be cold for once. We love the region where we live but also celebrate the refreshingly green grass and the precipitation that fuels it. Not surprisingly the kids’ request to play in the rain was unhesitatingly met with approval.

Why did the Gospel writer include the little detail that Jesus had the people sit down on the green grass? I’m not entirely sure, but I certainly do appreciate it.