Tree Life as Metaphor for Christian Spirituality

Sorry!! Last week, for the first time since beginning this blog, I did not post anything. The reason for that was for the last two years I have been working on a book about my spiritual journey, and I was tied up doing a final edit before sending it out to potential publishers. I was ‘in the zone’ and did not want to shift my focus. I hope and trust that in due course the manuscript will be published.

In the next few posts I will look at how tree life is a metaphor for Christian spirituality. It is said of metaphors that they both reveal but also conceal. If I conform to the metaphor too rigidly it can obscure certain important realities; so I will hold it lightly.

When Jesus began his public ministry he identified with the beginning part of Isaiah 61 as being an expression of his earthly ministry (Luke 4:14-21). It begins with, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor.” It carries on describing what this ministry to the people he came to would look like, and in v 3 it articulates the result of his ministry: “For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.” This is a profound image of what Christian spirituality is about- displaying the Image of God we are created to be, to the glory of God.

With regard to this image we can look at the difference between on the one hand theology, doctrine and what generally happens in church; and on the other the pursuit of spirituality. The first has to do with formulating right belief and right behaviour and how that is lived out. There is a focus on evangelism; practising religious rituals; living according to a moral code; worshiping and serving God; and developing faith in God. It can be likened to forestry- the planting of new trees; encouraging their development and growth; facilitating them bearing fruit; and orderly forest management.  It has to do with what is outwardly manifested and therefore manageable. It is visible and tangible. In contrast spirituality focusses on what is invisible- the inner reality that each of us has to deal with. It works with that which is hidden deep within us, at the core of our being.

Looking at a single tree from the first perspective given above it has to do with the outward appearance of the tree and what is clearly visible- its form, size, health and fruitfulness. One sees the trunk, branches, leaves and fruit. The life of the tree is assessed and judged on these attributes. On the other hand spirituality focusses on the hidden, invisible aspects of the tree. It strips away the bark to reveal the timber which gives the tree its unique character. Every type of timber has its own characteristics; and each tree has a unique manifestation of these characteristics.

Christian spirituality addresses how each tree has been formed. Its formation has been influenced by many different factors such as the type of soil it has grown in; the amount of water it has received; the prevailing climate the tree is in etc. The health and wellbeing of the tree is impacted upon by these factors. Spirituality works towards rectifying unhealthy influences that have negatively impacted upon the ability of the tree to display the true character it was meant to, to the glory of its creator.

Questions for reflection:

*What type of tree are you?

*How are you manifesting the image of God within you?

Cycles and Seasons

This post looks at the reality of there being cycles and seasons in our spiritual growth and development. This flows from the reality that the patterns of grace mirror the patterns of nature. There is a tendency to view our spiritual growth in a linear manner. However, on a micro level that is not how nature operates. Things grow through time and get bigger and more mature; but if one looks closer, the process is cyclical.

For the last thirty odd years I have been involved in wood work. I have been working with timber which comes from trees. Through this I have come to realize that tree life gives us a useful image of spiritual growth and development. If you cut a tree down and look at a cross- section of trunk of the tree you will notice that there are a number of growth rings. Each ring represents one year of the life of that tree.

 If one looks even closer each annual growth ring is made up of two parts- a darker and a lighter one. The darker section is harder and more compact than the lighter one. These two sections of the growth ring represent summer and winter growth. The winter growth is the denser and harder band. It tends to be narrower than the summer band, where the growth is accelerated. The summer band is softer and spongier. It is the winter band that gives the tree its strength and rigidity.

In similar fashion we go through cycles and seasons in our spiritual growth and development. We experience both good times and difficult times. They feel to us like winter and summer, and seasons in between. We tend to want the summer to be endless, but that is not the reality of the life which we live. We are bound to the cycles and seasons of life, just as surely as nature is.

 We can fight this and live in denial. The problem is that if we try and live as though an endless summer is possible we are bound to end up being frustrated and bitter. The healthier option is to go with the flow of that which is inevitable; recognizing that as surely as the winter we are in is cold and unpleasant, spring is soon to follow.

 It is also in the spiritual winter that we get stronger and tougher; and develop resilience. It is where we are forced to trust in the strength and provision of our loving Father. This is where our relationship with God is deepened. Without these challenges we will inevitably take that love and provision for granted; as spoilt children do. In the process everything becomes devalued, and unappreciated. There is nothing sadder to see than that.

Questions for reflection:

·         How do you deal with the cycles and seasons in your life?

·         Do you resist and try to live in denial?

·         Do you have an attitude of gratitude when you receive life’s blessings?

 

   

Following Our Process

In this post I want to look at the necessity of following our own process. As previously mentioned, the patterns of grace mirror the patterns of nature. The process of natural human development is mirrored by our spiritual development (to think otherwise is being trapped in dualistic thinking- that is the subject of another post).

The same phases that can be identified as applying to natural human development can be used to understand our spiritual development. In natural development we move through stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood etc. In like manner our spiritual development follows a similar process. We cannot expect to suddenly jump from spiritual infancy to adulthood. It is not possible. Each stage of human development has certain challenges that a person needs to confront and deal with. They cannot move on to the next stage until the requirements of their present stage have been negotiated. The person will be stuck in that stage until this has been realized.

In infancy we are initially totally dependent on our parents for our survival. Our mother provides us with nurture, sustenance and comfort. The role of the father is to help provide for the child’s needs; and give security and protection.

During childhood we are taught basic things that are essential for our survival. We are given external discipline and taught basic impulse control. Along with this we are given instruction about what is right and wrong; as well as being given boundaries and structure. These are necessary for us to grow and mature. At this stage we look to our parents to fulfil all our needs. We are at first confined within a domestic environment. Later we venture out into a wider environment and begin to experience life on our own. The challenge is learning to interact with the world outside of the security of our home. Through this interaction we slowly become more confident and assured. 

We later move into adolescence, which is a time of questioning. This is a stage where we challenge the authority of our parents and begin to find our own identity. This is an awkward transition stage that needs to be negotiated in order to embrace adulthood. To become adults, the external instruction that we received, as well as the behaviour that was modelled for us in childhood needs to be evaluated. Conflict with the adults who have been responsible for forming us is inevitable and necessary.

An adult needs to freely decide what to embrace and what to discard. The attitudes, understanding, beliefs and values that have been internalized through growing up in the parents care need to be evaluated. To live as an adult means living out of those which have become our own. There is a necessary shift from external control to internal autonomy and control. Furthermore, the locus of authority needs to move from being external to internal. Only then are we living as true adults.

 Our spiritual journey is a parallel process to what we have seen in our natural human development. The domestic environment is reflected in institutional religion. Here we learn similar lessons which are essential for our spiritual development and growth. A natural new- born infant starts its life in the world lying on its back, totally dependent on its care givers. Similarly, a new-born spiritual infant is totally dependent on the spiritual community it finds itself in.  In natural development a child moves from lying on its back to moving through stages of first sitting, then standing and finally walking unaided by someone else. This process is reflected in spiritual development as well. The spiritual child is taught basic things which give him/her a spiritual foundation; and is encouraged to become increasingly active and involved in the life of the faith community.

The spiritual community / institutional church have the role of teaching the spiritual children to adopt ‘right belief’ and ‘right behaviour’. They are taught impulse control; and are given necessary boundaries and structure. They believe at that point that the institutional Church gives them access to God and provides for their spiritual needs. In a way they collaborate with the Church in trying to get God to give them what they want. They are dependent on the Church in the same way that a child is bound up with its mother.

 However, to move toward spiritual adulthood a similar process as has been described in natural development needs to be progressed through or else they will remain perpetual spiritual children. They need to move through a questioning spiritual adolescence where they evaluate what they have been taught and what has been modelled for them. At this point they also have to reconcile contradictions in terms of what has been taught to them and what they have seen as being the lived reality of their mentors.  This is an awkward phase where inevitable conflict with the Church authority structure will occur. 

Adulthood requires choosing to embrace and internalize that which a person can authentically identify with. The only way this can happen is if they enter into an authentic relationship with God themselves. A second- hand belief is not authentic. If they are merely living their lives according to the dictates of an external theology and moral code, they are spiritual children. Ultimately the locus of spiritual authority needs to move from being external to internal. It comes not from the Church but from within. That authority is based on their own relationship with God and recognizing at a heart level that they are a daughter / son of God; and that they enjoy the favour of God. In Scripture this was depicted in the baptism of Jesus. An authentic spiritual adult needs to find and embrace their own spiritual identity and inner authority.

Questions for reflection:

*Where are you in your process?                                                                       

Trusting Our Experience

What I want to focus on in this post is the necessity of us trusting our own experience. Each of us is being called to move to towards deeper communion and union with both God and our True Self. This is a process and a journey; which takes our lifetime. Yet, it is never fully realized. It is the same type of mystery and paradox as the Kingdom of God: which is already here, but not yet. We are called to live with that tension of opposites. The longing and the hope is what draws us forever onward. Our ultimate call is to live by faith. Scripture tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. We have to let go of our desire to be in control of our life and reality; and surrender to the control of the One who has loved us into being. We have to trust our loving Father when he says through his Word that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

How do we come to know God, and our True Self? This takes place deep within our own self. It happens through encountering God in and through our own consciousness. We do not experience God ‘out there’. We have to choose to open ourselves up to trust our own experience. We first and foremost encounter God within us. It is our own reality that matters. This is not about what the religious ‘experts’ have to say.

Church doctrine and theology can tell us something about God and what is required of us in terms of right belief and right behaviour. But this is not relationship with God. We can endlessly listen to sermons and talks; and read spiritual books. But this is always second- hand reporting of spiritual reality. A second- hand understanding is not authentic. Our call is not to know something ‘about’ God that we have heard about or read. We have been created for relationship with God. Our call is know God in the first person; to move into an intimate relationship with God. This can only happen if we choose to be open to this being realized. It takes adopting the right attitude. We choose to dispose our self for relationship with God. It has rightly been said that true prayer is our response to the presence of God. Our Father has loved us into being for the purpose of relationship; but we need to positively respond. If we do not respond to our Father’s invitation then relationship with him will not develop.

The Early Church had an understanding that the patterns of grace mirror the patterns of nature. The same process that we see taking place when a natural human relationship is formed is mirrored in the development of our relationship with God. For relationships to develop they need to be worked at. The right conditions need to be present for this to happen. The foundational reality is that both persons need to want the relationship; and be open to it developing. The next step is being open to risk reaching out to the other person. This entails the person expressing something of their own reality. This involves inevitable risk; because the person does not know how the other person will respond. Because of this the initial exchanges will usually be on a superficial level. The degree to which the first expressions of the person’s reality are positively received by the other person determines whether or not the relationship develops. The relationship develops through dialogue. It involves give- and- take from both people.

It takes time for the two people to move to a place where they can risk sharing their deeper reality with each other. They are only able to do so if what they share with the other person is received with acceptance; and treated with reverence and respect. They need to have assurance that what they share with the other person will be confidential; and will not be violated. To have a relationship with someone where one can share one’s deepest reality in absolute confidence is very precious. It is also rare. People often feel too vulnerable; and withhold sharing their deepest reality.

Our relationship with God follows this same pattern. It firstly necessitates having the desire for it to develop. It then requires us to both share who we are with God; and listen to hear God share who he is with us. Dialogue is the heart of the process. It necessitates reverential listening. God will not share with us what we will not treat with reverence and respect. What he shares with us is precious; and needs to be treated as such. He will not caste his pearls before swine. We have to prove ourselves to be trustworthy.

On the other hand we have to risk authentically sharing who we are with God. This is a process that takes time.  At first we are rather tentative. Our tendency is to share what we think God will find acceptable. There are many aspects of ourselves that we feel uncomfortable to share; and hold back. We are sometimes riddled with a deep sense of guilt and shame. Each of us has an inner ‘dark side’ that we keep hidden. This is so hidden that we even hide it from our conscious awareness. It is hidden inside our unconscious awareness; in our inner darkness. It takes the right conditions for this to be exposed to the light of day. Yet, for authentic relationship to take place, this is precisely what we need to share with the Lord.

The Lord’s invitation is for us to be absolutely real and authentic with him. As we do this we move to a place of being in communion with him. Through experiencing communion with the Lord we are in a mysterious way changed and transformed to be in union with him: we share his likeness. The likeness we share is the True Self that we are created to be: the image of God we are at the core of our being. This is our glory and our hope.

Questions for reflection:

*To what degree do you have an authentic relationship with God?

*Can you share your ‘dark side’ with the Lord?

*Is this something you desire?