Barb, my wife, finds recreation by doing word puzzles. In one of her puzzles, she ran across the word “oleander.” This is a beautiful, hardy flowering shrub which can be grown as a small tree. It is found virtually world-wide, but it is thought that its origin was in the Mediterranean area. Because of its hardiness, “there are estimated to be 25 million oleanders planted along highways and roadsides throughout the state of California. Because of its durability, oleander was planted prolifically on Galveston Island in Texas after the disastrous Hurricane of 1900. They are so prolific that Galveston is known as the ‘Oleander City’; an annual oleander festival is hosted every spring. Moody Gardens in Galveston hosts the propagation program for the International Oleander Society, which promotes the cultivation of oleanders. New varieties are hybridized and grown on the Moody Gardens grounds, encompassing every named variety”. These plants are beautiful, easy to grow, tough, and have year-round blooms peaking in summer in temperate regions. It is a most appealing plant except there is one down-side—they are extremely toxic to humans and to many animals. In fact, the origin of the word oleander comes from a form of a Greek compound noun with “ollyo” and “aner” put together meaning “I kill man.” It is in the same family of plants that are used in Africa for poison arrows (credit: Wikipedia). Now, having said that, we need to understand that there are many common flowers and plants that are toxic. So, before we boycott the nurseries from selling oleander, lets do our research and see just what we are admiring in our landscapes. This is not a slam on toxic plants; it is just factual information for a point to be made. The point is that in the spiritual realm of life, just because something looks good, smells good, feels good, and everybody is doing it everywhere, that does NOT mean that it is good to embrace. Just because Momma and Daddy and Grandma and Grampa did it that way and believed it that way, does NOT mean it is God’s way. God’s way is revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said so Himself— “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Man’s dead religious traditions and philosophy might look good and feel good, but they are toxic. Jesus is the way to the Father. He is Lord with all authority. He is Jesus come in the flesh, to come into our fleshly life here and now by His Spirit. He is the Christ, anointed by the Spirit, to share that same supernatural anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our life today. It is all supernatural and it is all in the Bible, simple and plain. We don’t need our tradition or some theologian to explain it away or say it has passed away. Jesus is resurrected and alive. Believe in Him and live.