Spring highlights nature’s generosity. Or, rather, God’s generosity through nature, as the harshness and hiddenness of winter give way to the abundance of spring's flora and fauna before the dryness of summer and the fall of autumn. Spring celebrates beauty, excess and liberality. If one poppy is beautiful, why not one hundred or one thousand? Spring is an annual reminder through nature of God’s abundant goodness and generosity toward all he has made, including and especially you and me – and even our neighbors, who we may or may not appreciate. As the scripture affirms, the rain falls “on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
The word "generous" shares the same root as "genesis," referring to "birth" and "beginnings." Its earliest usage dates to the 16th century, when it was used to describe someone of noble birth or high-born qualities. By the 17th century, however, to be generous came to refer not to one’s bloodline, but to the virtues of liberality and unselfishness that were assumed to be a part of a noble man or woman’s character. In education, students were instructed in the “liberal arts,” that is, the literature and activities that would inculcate and inspire a liberal, generous or giving spirit and attitude toward others and equip them with the skills and insights to work successfully for the common good in their families, in business and in government.
