There is this idea in Christianity that God made humans in his image. Because of that vague, ambiguous belief, there is also the idea that we can learn more about God by learning more about humanity.
When we gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be human–to feel, to breathe, to eat, to communicate, build, grow, desire, grieve, embrace, love–we also gain a deeper understanding of our relationship to God. Admittedly, we have to be careful with that. Otherwise we can wind up believing (like we often do) that God enjoys that which is unhealthy and dislikes that which is good.
Another Way
But we can also learn about God from the world around us. Like Thomas Aquinas said,
Sacred writings are bound into two volumes: that of creation and that of Holy Scripture.
By looking at nature, especially the living beings around us, we can learn so much about the one scripture calls “the Living God.”
If you open up the Bible to Psalms, you will find a book of songs. They are supposed to give us insight into how to worship, how to pray, how to praise, and how to just relate to God overall. But the very first psalm does so in a very odd way. It doesn’t directly address God like in almost every other psalm. The first one kicks off the collection by describing the people God is pleased with and those God would rather not have around.
So how are the good people described?
Like Trees
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wickedor stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
When trying to think up what kind of human is most blessed by God, the best example the writer could think of was… a tree?
Why?! Because trees are just good. They are inherently life-giving. Essentially they devote their entire lives to providing shade, protection, shelter, homes, nutrients, sustenance, supplies, air, and just life to everything around them (minus a few predators).
What is a Tree
When we think of trees, it is easy for us to say that they are “living things.” After all, they grow and make stuff. If they can die, it is pretty obvious they are living.
What is not easy is describing trees as “living beings.” Can we describe dogs, cows, whales, rats, iguanas, and parakeets as “living beings?” Sure we can! Without hesitation. If you watch those animals, you can see them communicate, feel, react, hurt, rejoice, eat, fight to survive, express emotion, and love.
But trees are alien to us. They are hard to relate to. But oddly enough, as I hope to share a little through this blog (in small doses), trees do all the same things that animals can. Trees communicate, feel, react, hurt, eat, fight to survive; plus, I would argue that they express emotion and love too. (Bear with me guys.)
The biggest difference between trees and animals is their role in the world. Animals contribute by quickly shaping creation, but each one selfishly consuming a crazy amount of living things in the process. Trees contribute by slowly shaping creation, selflessly nourishing an unbelievable amount of living things in the process.
Words Like Trees
I call this portion of my blog “Words Like Trees” because, well, I want my words to be like trees. My hope is that the words here reflect the aspects of God found in trees more than those found in people (there are already enough people writing about that, I’m sure).
Words should be life-giving. I want mine to have immovable roots growing both deep and wide. And I pray my words have branches growing ever outwards, gathering as much energy from the heavens as possible, offering as much comfort to others as possible.
I borrowed the term “words like trees” from a famous tree in a famous book by a famous author,
Songs like trees bear fruit only in their own time and their own way: and sometimes they are withered untimely.
Treebeard, in Book 3 of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
My wife and I wanted our lives to be like trees just the way Psalm 1 describes them. Though her own time seemed short, she grew vibrantly her whole life, and produced good things in season. Still, I have an entire blog dedicated to the fruit she bore in her own time and way–If Cassie Could Sing. With that dedicated to her, I decided to dedicate the words and writings of Words Like Trees to the thoughts that grow as I try to bear fruit in my own time and way.
I hope you find life in them.
P.S.
I’ve already made two other blogposts under this category before describing what the category is really supposed to be or where the name comes from. But hey, these words are like trees guys. And like Treebeard would say, when speaking like trees, “It takes a very long time saying anything… because we do not say anything… unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to.”
