Saturday, August 29, 2020
The Rev. Nathan Bourne
Persevere
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
–Isaiah 41:18-20
The words perseverance and resilience are intertwined, like a tree and vine grown together, shaping one another. Yesterday I was up in the White Mountains, climbing up Mt. Moriah and running down into the Wild River Valley. The south side of Mt. Moriah is a granite slab, nearly devoid of soil, exposed to harsh winds and the intensity of winter at 4000 feet. Yet life abounds. From the low shrubs that line the path, to the lichens that cling to the rocks, and the scrappy evergreens whose roots have spread to find what little soil there is and cling to the side of the rock. I stood in awe of those trees, imagining what they have experienced in the course of their lives. These stunted spruces, no more than a foot or two high have made a life in spite of the adversity of conditions. They’ve survived winter after winter, countless storms, and increased pressure on the mountains from humans. They’ve persevered in a place where nobody would expect it, and by doing so have contributed to their ecosystem, keeping what little soil there is in place and creating habitat for other species.
In a time when the human world feels out of control, I take comfort in the perseverance of trees. It’s a reminder that life isn’t as fragile as it often seems. When I walk among the trees, I’m reminded that I’m part of something larger than myself, that my own life is unfolding within the context of larger communities, both human and non. I think of the image of the Body of Christ that Paul uses so often. He uses it to remind the Church that we are all connected, interdependent, part of a single unfolding story – the love of God that created this world and that is still with us today. I thank God for the trees, their perseverance, and the reminder to look beyond myself to the ways that we are all connected.