Once Planted, It Springs Up
We have this giant Norfolk Pine tree growing in our front yard. It wasn’t always a giant. When it came to our new home, that very first Christmas, 39years ago, it was a potted plant to be used as a Christmas tree. After Christmas, the gardener suggested we plant it in the front year. Once planted, it sprung up.
Jesus uses similar words and image in this week’s Gospel Mark 4: 32 to describe the Kingdom of God ‘…once planted, it springs up and becomes the largest of trees and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.’
Our tree has become the largest of trees with branches that the birds of the air dwell in its shade. She has been there silently watching over us from that Christmas. She has witnessed the joys and sorrows of our family life, while imperceptibly growing. She has been a symbol of stability when the sea got rough and our barque almost perished. She celebrated with us at each new birth of a child or grandchild.
As I read this week’s Gospel narrative, I reflected on our pine tree and its symbol of the Kingdom of God. It is more than just a tree; it has transformed from a small Christmas decoration into a towering beacon of life and resilience. It has provided a sanctuary for birds and a constant reminder for us, illustrating how The Kingdom starts humbly and gradually becomes mighty and sturdy.
The tree’s journey from a potted plant to a grand fixture in our front yard also mirrors the spiritual growth we aspire to in our own lives, nurturing our faith and spreading it outward to provide comfort and solace to neighbours. Just as the Kingdom of God is a refuge and strength, our tree stands as a steadfast symbol of divine grace and the nurturing power of faith.
As I stood at its base to take this picture, I better understood Jesus’ metaphor of the seed that grows into a giant tree. The towering presence of our Norfolk Pine, once a small Christmas tree, now reaching high into the sky with its expansive branches, made the Gospel words come alive. I could see how the Kingdom is imperceptibly growing into something majestic and awe-inspiring, providing shelter and a home for many.
It helped me realize that despite the bad news I read, see and hear on the media, the kingdom is growing. And with it, the power to transform our lives and the world around us. If we plant it, it springs up.
NOTICE BOARD
Dear Friends, I am inviting you to view by clicking on the link below my Benedictine Spirituality Membership program. It is a wonderful way to embed spirituality into daily living. I hope you will join me.