The two co-existing realities in a tree! One branch is alive and flourishing with fruits and the other branch showing signs of weariness with loosing its foliage.
The boy, Jesus of Nazareth grew up with facing contrasting realities in His life. The way Simeon, a righteous and devout person, who was looking for the consolation of Israel, seeing Jesus at the temple on the eight day, proclaimed: 'A Light of revelation to the gentiles' (Luke 2: 25-33). He also said, 'Behold this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel..". On the same occasion, Anna a prophetess, at eighty four years of age 'came up and giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those, who were looking, for the redemption of Jerusalem' (v 36-38).
While this was happening in the temple bringing surprise to Joseph and Mary, Joseph received a message from the angel, 'Herod is going to search father child to destroy Him' (Matt. 2: 13), because of which Joseph, 'arose and took the child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt'.
These were two realities associated with the challenge Jesus faced in His life and calling. He grew up in an inhospitable environment, initially in a distant land from that of his parents, and later in Nazareth which too was not his parent's native place. The second was the self directed learning Jesus had to design for Himself in the law and prophets to get familiar with the message of fulfilment of prophecies that He was to be n His adulthood. And yet, Jesus grew up 'increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men' (Luke 2;52).
While I kept watching the sight of the tree, in the photo above, I felt an inner awakening about realities in my own life. Life is a confluence of promises, prospects and blessings as well as denials, disappointments, and adversity. I happened to hear from a person, whom I got to know recently, some disturbing comments about a difficult experience that I was through about six years ago, while engaged in a responsibility. Although, I have moved on with openness to receive that experience as formative with some measure of inner restoration, that event is still active in the consciousness of some people.
I felt comforted by the sight of the tree with its vibrant branch and the dried branch co-existing, giving an integrated view of life. It is likely that each of us will come across different companions in our life's journey. Those who see the dried branch, those who see the alive branch and some who are able to see the tree in its flourishing entirety.
The Christmas season is a time in life, when the two realities that we live with can come together to give us the joy of life, knowing that the peeks and valleys of life are the journey path to 'increase in wisdom and stature..'!
I watched yesterday children play with an adult. How the adult 'reduced' himself to keep pace with children to give them a rich time of entertainment and play! I felt inspired to see how an adult had the ability and openness to see children as they are and adapt to their situation and give them the pleasure of exploration and activity! An adult subjecting himself to the rhythm and interest of children by being open and self giving!
Jesus grew up as a self giving person. The wisdom He grew up with Him to engage with the teachers of the law at 12 years of age, when He went to the temple with His parents. His formative experience included a mixture of events, beginning with the manger experience, fleeing to safety in the night and growing up 'subjecting Himself to His parents'. St Paul in his letter to the Philippians described this 'reducing' experience, in a moving way: '..although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of men..' (Philip 2: 3-11).
While the acquisitive way is the popular path that most people feel inclined to grow up with, the other path is a denying path, where one chooses to live with realities that one comes across in life and receive them as the way are set before us. It is likely that some circumstances we grow up are beyond our modulation, while many are in the domain of choices we can make.
It is when one realises that the choice one made was not the path that would allow growth in wisdom, one has the possibility to retrace steps and recalibrate the journey path. I feel comforted as I look back, that revision of choices were possible, and freedom from the strain associated with holding everything together was possible, when I was encountered truth beyond what was obvious.
The mosaic of our inner ambience has a confluence of these two realities; reminded by one branch with scanty foliage and the other branches fully alive!
To be able to receive life in that form of 'givenness' comes from the awareness and awakening to the reality of life and becoming open to be content with the different terrains in one's life!
What strikes any seeker in to the mystery of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is the place of desert or wilderness in His life. Apart from forty days spent in the wilderness before He commenced His public life, it was the habit of Jesus to go away alone to the mountain to pray, often before or after major life events in His life.
The Christmas narration also includes this call to live life as given to us and yet choosing to act on the promptings received to fulfil the greater purpose of life. That was what Jospeh did, when he received the message to 'flee to Egypt in the night' with the child and His mother !
I returned from this sight of beholding a tree to receive the reality of cohesiveness and togetherness. I noticed the two branches and stayed meandering between them initially!
At the end of that meandering, what I encountered was a call to behold the tree and its aliveness ! A tree is larger than just a branch or a few branches!
One thief who was crucified with Jesus had the promise of the paradise experience, when he turned to Jesus!
Life is such a gift to live in peace, hope and trust, looking unto God of our lives!
A few days later, I noticed a crow hovering over the dry twigs of of the tree. I noticed other crows also on the cluster of those dry twigs. I won't be surprised if a crow family would build a nest on those dry twigs. It occurred to me that the branches initially looking dry and redundant can also become a home for birds.
I felt uplifted by this consciousness as every experience, although one or two can initially appear to be out of place, can also be a nidus for fulfilling journey in life!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment