Ramadan Night 12

Seest thou not how
Allah sets forth a parable?
A goodly Word
Like a goodly tree,
Whose root is firmly fixed,
And its branches (reach)
To the heavens, -
It brings forth its fruit
At all times, by the leave
Of its Lord
So Allah sets forth parables
For men, in order that
They may receive admonition

S.14 A.24-25

I literally love this verse; the notion that God's word is like a tree is very evocative to me. Trees have always been a source of wonder for me - climbing them as a boy, caring for them in my yard, building furniture from their sacrifice, stopping in my tracks in the middle of the Serengeti to admire a sole acacia - trees have always enthralled me. I believe I could spend a year just travelling around Africa taking pictures of trees.  There is an ancient appeal to shelter, sustenance, and strength: a suiting metaphor for God's world. 

I mentioned in an early post, that an earnest psychologist labeled my tree drawing test as an indicator of a lonely, isolated man. Perhaps he was correct to a degree, but I am now much more comfortable with this arboreal application, a goodly tree, a tree of life. I am growing like a tree, trying to establish my roots in my faith, trying to grow tall and true, trying to reach closer to God's word, eager to reap the fruit of His word, willing to be a source of strength and shelter for others. I like this new notion of a tree, no longer a silent sentinel in the wilderness, but an amaranthine oak, solid and straight, bridging earth and heaven.