Damask Rose

This Rosa Damascena, also known as the damask rose or damascene rose, was allegedly brought to western Europe by the crusader Robert de Brie in the 1100s from the Syrian capital around which he had been fighting. I found it growing in the gardens of Canterbury Cathedral. For many Sunday School children and general church goers, Damascus is better associated with the road upon which Saul of Tarsus was miraculously converted. A bitter, legalistic thug before, and a trophy of compassion and grace thereafter, the Lord Jesus on that road to Damascus turned his ugliness to beauty. Anyone who is truly converted to Christ, while still imperfect this side of death, can only ever be sweeter, more vibrant and more attractive than they were before.