Jesus said, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
John 16:33
About six weeks or so ago here in Austin we had quite the downpour. Rain was blowing sideways, and each gust bent my young, skinny white oak tree clear to the ground. The nursery where I bought it had tied the trunk to a bamboo pole which worked nicely to support it for quite a while. Then the storm pulled the pole out of the ground and no amount of my puttering over the next week could re-establish it. Instead the inflexible pole became part of the problem, adding weight that was pressing the white oak, still not able to stand on its own, down. Wanting to save my beautiful growing tree I sought a solution. It came to me that I could use a 3-way tree anchoring kit, with soft wraps on the trunk and flexible nylon ropes to help it stand tall. That worked! Now my tree is back to putting out new leaves and gaining height every day.
I learned something unexpected in this process. The directions on the anchoring kit noted, “This system allows for gentle movement of roots and trunk to stimulate healthy tree growth.” Who knew! I didn’t. I had no idea that trees needed to have movement to invigorate their development. That’s when I realized that the storm and the subsequent failure of the unyielding bamboo pole were a gift. The tree was growing, and ready for something new – a more flexible way of supporting its expanding identity. I am grateful for the spiritual powers of imagination and wisdom that showed me how.
I think you can see the similarity between us and my white oak’s experience. We know the wind and rain have been blowing and gusting intensely this year. Maybe you feel like my tree, that at times you’ve been laid almost flat to the ground. That’s really uncomfortable and oftentimes downright painful. We don’t have to pretend otherwise. At the same time we can know the deeper Truth of this moment – we are in the midst of an uplift in consciousness. Expanding our understanding of our spiritual identity, we are realizing that as expressions of God we humans have enormous creative power. We can bring into actuality a world where all people are honored and harmony is the norm.
As the winds gust and the rain pours down, let old unbending ways go. Support your new growth and the new growth of our world with flexible, gentle spiritual vision. Make way for the values of love, peace, and sisterhood/brotherhood through your daily practice of prayer and meditation and sharing inspiration with fellow travelers on this spiritual path. Take to heart what Jesus revealed to His disciples about the spiritual Christ power within each of us, “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
In the Love and Light of the Christ,
Rev. Anna
