Tree
Talk
“We can
speak without voice to the trees and the clouds and the waves of the
sea. Without words they respond through the rustling of leaves and
the movement of clouds and the murmuring of the sea.”
Paul
Tillich
We've had twenty-four
hours of steady rain, and it's cold inside and out. The aftermath of
Irma dribbles on. I have had several conversations with the trees in
my yard, asking them in the most respectful of terms not to fall on
my house. I explained to them how expensive that is, and promised to
have them reasonably pruned when there is money to do so. They seemed
to understand, and so far, have not pounded wet branches on the roof.
I wonder if you, too, talk to the trees and the birds.
It helps to see trees as
the sentient beings that they are. Long living, resilient and
patient, trees have their own auras and share almost all of our DNA.
Why not have a neighborly relationship with them? I was glad to see
that renowned theologian, Paul Tillich, agrees. He wrote a lot about
the power of language with and without words. For instance, he wrote,
“Language...has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain
of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the
glory of being alone.” He also called God the “ground of
being itself,” which is still the best description I have ever
seen. We communicate with the elements of nature with or without
words, and we respond to their communication. All of us are animated by the same Spirit.
In the rain today are the
last exhausted tailwinds of a hurricane that spent her life-blood
destroying islands in the Caribbean, and washing away streets and
beaches in the Florida keys. She dumped a ton of water on the entire
peninsula and is now half-heartedly draining what remains on us.
Mother nature is clear in her language—she's the boss, and will do
as she pleases.
I hope you spend some
time today communicating with the trees with or without words. You
may be surprised by the wisdom they impart.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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