A space to discuss the Like A Tree essay.
As a start, here’s a song I started humming along as I read your reflection…
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be,
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.
His beauty doth all things excel,
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see,
In Jesus Christ the Appletree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the Appletree.
I’m weary with my former toil -
Here I will sit and rest awhile,
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the Appletree.
With great delight I’ll make my stay,
There’s none shall fright my soul away;
Among the sons of men I see
There’s none like Christ the Appletree.
I’ll sit and eat this fruit divine,
It cheers my heart like spirit’al wine;
And now this fruit is sweet to me,
That grows on Christ the Appletree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the Appletree.
–Elizabeth Poston
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It was incredible to see the fruit of one man’s labor in the youtube video! I dont know if Jadav knew Jesus but he understood caring about God’s creation. Seeing the animals enjoy the forest, I thought truly a righteous man has regard even for his animals (Prov 12:10).
Had Paul contemplated on the lessons we can learn from creation like righteousness by observing trees when he wrote these inspired words in Rom 1:20?
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
What does a tree teach me about righteousness?
In Christian circles, we often hear that we can know whether someone has true faith by their fruit. While this is true there are many other factors to take into consideration.
- Young trees dont bear fruit or bear little fruit. It takes many years to mature and bear fruit in abundance. A principle to learn is that spiritual maturity takes time.
- The health of a tree is measured by more than just fruit. We care for plants that have potential for fruitfulness. We can encourage those who are going through weak period in life
- Each tree bears different kind of fruit. We each have different spiritual gifts.
- A tree wont bear fruit unless its nourished. Neither can we unless we spend time with the Lord in the Word.
- When a trees grows large, it provides shelter for people, a space for a bird to keep its nest. Similarly as we grow in faith our circle of influence can increase.
- Trees adapt to seasons. We can learn that we will have both sorrows and joy in life.
- A tree that makes it through the storms grows stronger. God refines us through trials
- The roots of a tree are very important. So are we to guard our heart above all else.
- Once uprooted, a tree will take time to adapt , be healthy and grow again. Thats a reminder to support those who are going through major life changes.
- Once established, a tree stays strong and minor issues dont bother it anymore. Our trials enlarge our perspective and help us see what really matters.
- Trees grow in relationship with each other. We need community to flourish.
- Trees grow from seeds. A tree teaches not to despise small beginnings.
I am sure there are a lot more lessons to think about through the metaphor of trees. Trees indeed have a lot to teach us! Was a great exercise to think about it.
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One man’s vision and work created a joy to God and His creation since he on a small scale in his own way did what God did.
The deeper details that we did not see like the nurture and care that must have happened are similar to, “one will plant one waters but God gives the increase”. hat same metaphor can be alluded to with a well-watered tended garden exactly as God instructed Adam to tend and keep.
Some surprising similarities.
Trees always reach for the sun.
Roots really determine the growth great root system great tree.
Trees can become root bound and must be released, before they die, just like a righteous man in a spiritual dry spell. (Elijah)
A great tree and a righteous man are a complex process.
What we feed both matters.
All trees produce something, strong trees produce vibrant life.
A burl is a visible scar on a tree from stress like the hidden valleys (scars) of a righteous man
Exterior damage is healed persecution.
Strong trees can weather many a storm
Tap roots and broad roots work best
Different trees have different qualities though the same nourishment.
Fascinating what came to mind, thanks for asking.
Michael
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I love this reflection, Mike. So often I am tempted to believe that it is (and ought to be) a simple, straightforward (step 1 
step 2 step 3 ) process. Oftentimes, it is not. Complexity rules the day! No wonder there is a call throughout Scripture for patience and perseverance.
I literally shared a similar reflection with a dear friend the other day, who also is adjusting to life changes – uprootedness. It reminded us both to have compassion on ourselves and others.
After the Ravi revelations, this point hit directly home for me. Fruit, whether in lack or seeming abundance, can be deceiving. That’s why we need transparency and openness in our communities…esp our churches. We are all here to support one another, which includes encouragement as well as challenge. 
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