Why is a bulb a symbol of Lent?
A bulb symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings.
Bulbs are plain brown and not very attractive to look at. They appear dead when they are dormant and must be buried to grow. Christ died on the cross for our sins and, like the bulb, appeared to be dead forever.
Christ was placed in a tomb after his death and stayed there, out of sight, for three days. This is like the bulb which is hidden beneath the soil.
Christ, like the bulb, only appeared dead, and came from the tomb in new life, a life in which he arose to heaven to sit on the throne with God.
Christ wants us, like the bulb, to arise in new life. Jesus expects us to live a “new life” free from sin after baptism, a life in which we serve God. Paul told us in Romans 6:3-4, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were, therefore, buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Flowers express new life and new hope. The new life that springs from a bulb that seems dry and dead is a reminder of Jesus’ resurrection.
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