I Talked to The Trees
“God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good.” (Gen 1:31 New Common Bible)
I have committed myself to at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. It is a pretty low bar right now, just get up and move intentionally with some degree of vigor for at least 30 minutes daily. One early summer evening I decided not to worry so much about the time or the vigor. I decided I would simply get out and “play” like I did when I was a kid: decided to just go outside, move around, and explore.
I visited my local park that has a trail around a good size lake. It was my usual place but I showed up in a new way. No agenda, no “goal” other than to move around and pay attention.
I started walking at a healthy pace, but I did not watch the time. I saw a bench and decided to sit for a while. Not because I was tired, but because the bench said, “Sit for a while.” I sat for about 5 minutes and in that time I petted a nice dog, had a short conversation with a stranger who said “hello,” and saw the woman at the post office who always saves small shipping boxes for me. We too, had a short visit.
Then the path said “Why don’t you walk some more,” so I did.
As I walked I noticed a plant community. There were tall trees, small trees, shrubs and all manner of grass and plants that, in my yard, I call “weeds.”
Then the large trees said, “Welcome wanderer! Care to visit a while? We have something important to ask you.” So I stopped and listened.
Of course, trees speak “tree” just as squirrels speak “squirrel” and rocks speak “rock.” Tree, like rock, is a quiet language. One cannot hear it unless one is very quiet and completely open to hearing anything they might have to say.
“What is the job of a tree they asked?” Then, before I could say a word, the whole plant community started blurting out their answers.
“We shade the plants and animals,” said the tall trees.
“We feed the birds,” said the shrubs.
“Yeah!” Blurted out a young shrub, “and then the birds poop out the seeds of baby trees!”
We all chuckled.
“We hide the rabbits,” said the grasses.
“Yes, and we feed the bees!” roared a crop of dandelion in unison. “So don’t call us weeds!”
Before I continued my walk, they shared much more about the particulars of there “work.” As I walked on and considered all that they had shared, it struck me that their “work” was essentially connected to their “being,” their relationship with each other, and their relationship with the creatures in their community.
I am not even sure it is proper to call it “work” except in the living and natural economy of “energy spend” and” benefit gained.” What I am trying to say is that concepts like ”earning,” “owing,” “paying,” and most especially, “deserving” were simply not part of the language of trees or anyone else in their natural community. The “work” of a tree was perfectly done in simply being a tree and doing tree things.
The concept of their worth being found in anything other than the goodness of their being was baffling to them. What kind of creature would choose to live like that; always having to justify their right to exist by doing things that clearly had nothing to do with the essence of their being? What kind of creature would give up this natural birthright for an artificial system that constantly requires them and others to prove they “deserve” even the most basic things that they need to be and to be in relationship? Who would choose to invent such unnatural and irreverent insanity?
Who indeed?
