Or rather: Judas Coin
Last Sunday, I overheard some French visitors (read blog) talking about the artworks: they reminded them of the flower known as the “Monnaie du Pape”.
As I’m very curious, I asked if they could show me a picture of the flower. Well, yes: it does look just like it!
The artist who was standing there had heard the comparison before.
Back home, I looked up what the flower is called in Dutch: Judas Penning.
Wow! That’s remarkable!
Peter or Judas?
In one language, a reference to Peter; in the other, to Judas! In English, I read ‘Money plant’ or ‘Silver Dollar plant’.
It’s as if someone has pressed a button inside me to explore the symbolism behind this!
At first glance, everyone sees the same plant. But as is so often the case, there is a layer of meaning behind it. I am being asked to look at it differently and to look at the details.
I notice that predominantly Catholic countries speak of the Pope’s coin. And Protestant cultures refer to Judas. In the Bible, Judas is portrayed as a wicked person, a traitor. Bribery is involved. Nobody wants to be called Judas. I don’t know anyone by that name either. Could this same profile also apply to the Pope? If so, why? If not, why not?
Who am I?
But let’s look at Judas in a different light. He was Jesus’s best friend.
He HELPED Jesus to complete his mission on earth: that is, in fact, the case. Surely someone had to take on the ‘Judas’ role? Judas revealed Jesus. Peter took on the role of denying Jesus three times. And later on, that same Peter was made the first Pope, long after his death.
I find it confusing: they seem like two opposites. Just as we ourselves can sometimes be contradictory. The symbolism that the names of this plant evoke in me: “Which side of the coin do I choose? Who do I want to be?”
PS: the Latin name for this plant is Lunaria, which derives from ‘moon’ (Luna). That’s lovely too 😉
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