Oaks of Righteousness

Our scripture for this next Sunday includes Isaiah 61:3 - “They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.” It reminds me of a quote from African-American mystic Howard Thurman about his childhood, expressing sentiments about nature that I think you could relate to:

“When I was young, I felt more companionship in Nature than with people... The quiet, even the danger, of the woods provided my rather lonely spirit with a sense of belonging that did not depend on human relationships... I could sit my back against [my favorite oak tree’s] trunk, and feel the same peace that would come to me at night. I could reach down in the quiet places of the spirit, take out my bruises and my joys, unfold them, and talk about them. I could talk aloud to the oak tree and know that I was understood. It, too, was part of my reality, like the woods, the night, and the pounding surf, my earliest companions, giving me space.” (From Head and Heart)

I had a wonderful time walking in the winter woods during my week off, communing with the trees of Centennial Woods, right behind Burlington Cohousing. I found myself reflecting on “Wood4Good,” as well as the two other nonprofits we heard from during the second Sunday of Advent. Just as trees in the forest communicate and help each other, I was inspired by the mutual aid of a father who heated his home with wood, finding a way to deliver firewood to families that can’t afford it (Wood4Good); of seniors realizing that seniors can stay in their homes with just a little volunteer help (Mount Mansfield Villages); and a Haitian farmer in Vermont empowering Haitians to cultivate shade-grown coffee (Peak Macaya Co-op). These local examples mutual aid--people helping people--are as strong as the mighty trees growing right in our backyards! I hope you will check out their websites and learn some more about these righteous causes.

with love, Pr. Chelsea