Funeral For a Tree

Last week my son postponed his visit here by a day after learning that a great tree had fallen. He made the pilgrimage to see this massive 400-year-old white oak tree, and said that “lots of people have been trickling out all day paying their respects.”

It is right that such a community landmark that has metaphorically seen so many humans come and go should be noticed when it finally comes down. This tree was not visited nor mourned by its surrounding trees, but rather, it was mourned by human beings who are made in the image of God. Only a human being is capable of paying such respects to a beautiful, fallen tree, made by our Creator God.

There’s an age-old question that asks, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” This question is obviously not intended to be answered by science, but by religion and philosophy.

I think about the human tree.

One of my favorite Psalms comes right at the beginning of the book, as the first (and fairly short) expression:

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 (NIV)

The beautiful, old, massive oak that fell was amoral. Surely in its day it was climbed by both the righteous and sinners; it provided shade for picnics attended by both the righteous and sinners; and it was a navigational landmark for those whose ways were straight and for those whose ways were crooked.

What is it that causes a human tree to fall?

Perhaps the human tree’s roots are not nearly as deep as its massive presentation. As so, when torrential storms come the soil around it is softened and saturated, and the air blows violently through its branches, and the hard, tall tree is suddenly uprooted. And there it lays for all to see.

Perhaps the human tree has some sickness of heart; some disease that weakens its inner strength. And sooner or later it falls to the ground. And there it lays for all to see.

Perhaps the human tree has somehow been planted in the wrong soil conditions. It is not receiving the proper nutrients it needs to thrive. And a storm reveals that it was in deep distress. And there it lays for all to see.

Perhaps the human tree has become the habitat for destructive insects. This invasion prevents it from fulfilling its purpose, and sucks the life out of its inward parts. And there it lays for all to see.

Perhaps the human tree has simply been cut down. Whether for some rightful reason or simply to make way for something frivolous.

__________

There is nothing more valuable on earth than a human life. Yet every day, humans suffer. And every day, we encounter fallen or downed humans.

Every day human trees search for that which will bring them thriving strength. Some stand tall and are like the tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season. Other trees do not fare so well. And when we see a fallen human tree, we cannot know for certain all the things that brought it down to the ground.

But when the human tree falls, it does make a sound in the forest…if we listen, we can hear.

When a huge, massive oak falls (or any type of massive tree), there is nothing left but for it to either lay there and rot or to somehow be removed from its place and hopefully put to other good use. Unlike the natural, fallen, massive tree, the scriptures speak of hope for the fallen, human tree.

This hope was put on full display as Jesus hung upon a tree, becoming the curse for us and suffering the effects of the fall and of death. In Galatians 3 we are told, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’—” (vs 3) and the hope of our redemption is further explained in this book.

__________

I love trees–they are such a beautiful and glorious part of God’s creation. A tree provides so much visual symbol, metaphor and poetry for our human souls. Yet, the Spirit of the living God does not inhabit literal trees. The God of Creation has made His home within the soul and spirit of the human tree who will permit Him to fully enter and inhabit their innermost being.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit pierces through our natural hardness and permeates, flowing back outward as living water to those around us. And we who are living oaks of His righteousness have roots that run deep, and roots that intertwine within this earthly forest in heavenly ways.

And the good news is that there need not be a funeral when we stumble and fall (unless we insist upon staying grounded in our shame, doubt and dead weights). “Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

“Today, if only you would hear his voice,
‘Do not harden your hearts…'” (Psalm 95:8)

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.
Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.
“For I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Isaiah 61