Reassuring Whisper from the Tree of Life

Today, troubled with the state of the world and the future of this country,  I’m thinking about the tree of life and the tree of wisdom. I need their wisdom and their love today. And I am so grateful that I remember to turn to the trees for exactly this purpose. I’m not a tree hugger exactly - but I do have a deep connection to trees. Here’s how, and why it matters now, and what it has to do with our ongoing journey below the bible belt. 

There have been times throughout my life, during duress and stress and trouble - my own personal stuff and bigger reality shocks like the one we are in right now - when trees came to my rescue. I’ve come to realize that beyond words, beyond the human, is where the deeper wisdom comes from - with some guidance, reassurance, context and compassion. Even humor. It’s helping me process, not lose hope and keep showing up. 

One of those times was on election night in 2016, when Trump was elected for the first time. That was a tough night, and I was in Ohio, after days of canvassing with hope for Hillary. I ended up in the backyard of the house where my friends gathered in dismay and I was quiet, and gazed up at a large old oak tree. 

And, She spoke to me that night. She gave me comfort. I have spoken about that conversation in the days that followed and since, as a form of assurance from our deepest source. I know it’s out there but whatever helps, right? 

She - and it was an ancient feminine presence - I felt and heard it -  said to me: 

You humans are like me, with roots deep inside the ground and branches reaching out. We will weather the storms together. Ground deep with your roots and stay stable, reach out to others with your branches, linked together, and only connected beneath and beyond will you survive and thrive and help others do so and hope to heal the world as much as possible. 

I have been with you from the beginning and I will be with you till the end of time. 

Today I think about that night, and the wisdom of the tree of life and love. It feels like failure on some levels but I also know that the arc of justice and the journey to replace the patriarchy is much longer than an election cycle or perhaps even the lifespan of a human - or a tree. 

But we are on this journey. Come what may. 

On our Below the Bible Belt journey we just started the Book of Proverbs - all about HER wisdom and the ways of living kinder, better lives. Just yesterday we read about the Tree of Life - She is the source of our truth and justice, the guiding principle in how we structure our sacred lives. Is she perhaps the ancient goddess hidden in these pages from the past? 

I feel so. 

And I hold onto the trunk and truth of this old tree to give me comfort. 

One of the verses from chapter 3 says: 

בְּטַ֣ח אֶל־יְ֭הֹוָה בְּכׇל־לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶל־בִּ֥֝ינָתְךָ֗ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃

Trust in the Divine with all your heart,

And do not rely just on your own understanding.

Prv. 3:5

There is a bigger story here, a tremendous tree that we are part of, and somehow, we are part of this prophetic dream and it’s on us to activate compassion, justice, resistance and resilience - for the long run, rooted deep, linked together. 

Let’s see what wisdom has to offer us in the days ahead. 

Thank you for joining me below the bible belt. 

Lets take a deep breath together, and exhale, along with the trees -- 

Shabbat Shalom.