Reforesting Faith

Our house group has been looking at a book called ‘Reforesting Faith’ which focuses on the important role that trees play in the Bible and in our life on earth. The author points out that trees figure throughout the Bible, right from the first chapter of the Old Testament to the last chapter of the New and that many of the important events, including events in Jesus’ life, were somehow connected with trees. And I was surprised to find that at least 16 varieties of tree are specifically mentioned – from the acacia wood used to make the tabernacle furniture, cedar wood used for the temple building, to the sycamore tree Zacchaeus climbed and the olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane. We didn’t see eye to eye with all the author was saying but it did remind me of many lessons we can learn from trees.

Trees support life in many ways, including by storing carbon and by providing a home for myriads of different creatures. I believe our churches should be like trees bringing nourishment, a place of welcome and shelter to our local community. In Psalm 1, those whose delight is in the law of the Lord are likened to a tree growing beside streams of water, yielding its fruit in season. Through their dependence on God’s word they can flourish and bear fruit that will benefit others. Psalm 92 says that the righteous will flourish like a palm tree and will grow like a cedar of Lebanon so that they can continue to bear fruit even in old age.

Amazingly, trees are connected to each other through fungi attached to the roots, enabling them to communicate and share information about droughts, insect attacks and other dangers – a picture of perhaps of the way the Holy Spirit works through the church enabling us to share with one another, comforting the sad and lonely, encouraging those who need a word of affirmation and challenging those who need a gentle reminder about some issue.

A walk in the woods where trees have fallen will soon illustrate the fact that if a tree is cut down it will often sprout again. Sometimes, out of a seemingly dead tree stump a fresh green shoot appears. To me, this is a symbol of hope. The tree has suffered trauma and loss but there is evidence of life and hope for the future. When we suffer

trauma and loss we can have hope, since we know that God will keep His promise not to leave or forsake us.

Trees have many different uses. Some are good for making furniture, some give fruit, some are good as firewood, some pieces can be used to make beautiful carvings and some are planted specifically to give shade. So it is with God’s people. We each have different gifts which can be used in a variety of ways in the service of the church and to show God’s love in our community. May we be challenged to consider how we are using the gifts and abilities we have, even in perhaps limited circumstances.

Next time you go for a walk in the woods or admire the trees in your garden, think about the lessons they can teach us about ourselves and our relationship to God and to each other.

Mary Breeze