An aberrantly growing tree!

Every time I visit a forest I am drawn by the trees that grow next to each other as companions sharing a common soil, rain, and seasons of change. 

Occasionally one comes across an aberrantly growing tree, some in their stem, some in their branches, some invaded by saprophytes an some showing dried branches!

I was curious to find what the gardener thought about this tree which has a atypical stem! He was not too sure as it is not their habit to pay attention to trees that grow differently. But he did say tha tit is disease form within the stem!

That sounded an alert within me. 

I have often wondered why there is so much 'hate' language and reactive behaviour reported in the Indian press on account of gender, religion, caste, property, control, etc. 

This gardener provided me an insight win to this malady. It is from within.

I have been a witness to some quarrels which take place in my neighbourhood and in other places. Recently there is a struggle to dominate the political arena by some political parties, by inciting emotional feelings towards people who are different in their behaviour, belief, food habit, life style. 

I am yet to come across an organised, sustainable and purposeful response to engage those who are involved in aberrant behaviour from organisations such as church whose primly call and reason for its existence is to bring healing!  

A small initiative that Anna and I took recently to engage this 'inner dimension' which is the seat of our beliefs, attitudes, and actions did not sustain itself!

The external is a pointer to the internal. If there is a void, decay or distress inside, our behaviour, attitudes and response reveal them.

Jesus of Nazareth once said, 'the water I shall give you shall grow into a wellspring of river.. and you shall never thirst! This to me is a promise that when we respond to God of love, we can grow into loving and loveable people! The aberration gets corrected and there is restoration of wellness within! However there is often resistance from within to journey this way. I struggle with it all the time!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)