Little Forests and Walking Trees

                                               To Live With Respect in Creation -- Gary Crawford

 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged [Jesus] to touch him.  He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 

Mark 8: 22-25 NRSVue 

So Jesus touched him he put his hands on the blind man′s eyes and he said

Now open your eyes and tell me what you see

And I can almost see that man now openin' his eyes for the first time

Lookin′ around and seein' the dim outline of the people around him

He said

I see men as trees walking I see men as trees walking

I see men as trees walking I′m beginning to see

I see men as trees walking I see men as trees walking

I see men as trees walking I'm beginning to see

Song Lyrics by Johnny Cash 

This past Sunday morning Rev. Isaac gave us an update on the "Little Forest" planting by Trenton United along the Trent River. https://littleforests.org/

Our first date to plant was postponed because of issues on the part of Lower Trent Consservation, our partner in this important congregational initiative. Lots of members have contributed money to the tune of $1500 or so, and lots are itching to get digging and planting, although we must wait until later in the Fall because of near-drought conditions this Summer. It was probably providential that we didn't plant in June. 

I came upon a blog entry from eons ago that was about the British Tree Charter that harkens  goes back to  the "Charter of the Forest" , historical document, issued in 1217, that complemented the Magna Carta by addressing forest rights. The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, primarily focused on the rights of barons and individuals in relation to the monarch while the Charter of the Forest restored rights of the commoner to forest access.

                                                  Greybeard Ent from Lord of the Rings

It shouldn't surprise you that I like the story from the gospels where Jesus heals a blind man who first sees people "like trees walking." Hey, Tolkein was a devout Christian so this story might have been inspiration for the Ents in Lord of the Rings. And who knew that Johnny Cash wrote a song about that gospel story?

The modern Tree Charter includes ten commitments to forest health in Great Britain where forest cover is among the lowest in Europe. Here in Canada we think we have unlimted trees but as I write we have been advised to stay inside because of smoke from distant wildfires. We're also told that we are cutting trees commercially at a rate much faster than replacement. Perhaps we need a charter of our own.