Please join me in a moment of prayer:
We lift up our hearts in celebration of the tree.
From the ancient Californian Redwoods to the new Arborvitae edging a suburban lawn; From the Mediterranean Olive Tree to the Ginkgo Tree of Japan; Cypress, Sequoia, Cherry, Chestnut, Bodhi and Bonsai, The tree that holds the tire swing, and the tree that bears our lights and ornaments at Christmas time.
We are grateful for the many gifts that we receive. Fruits, nuts, lumber and firewood, sap for syrup and gum for glues. For the medicines that cure the sick, the shelter they provide to our sisters the squirrels, the sparrows and the spiders.
As we come together today, with heritages from every continent where trees grow, make us mindful of the gifts that we have to give. Help us look around and celebrate the diversity of gifts, the form and function that makes each and every one of us unique.
We are humbled when we consider the harm that we as human beings do to our planet when we forget that the very air we breathe is a gift from the trees that surround us. Let us be mindful that all of us, humans, animals, plants… are the branches of one long family tree leading back through time to that single cell with the spark of life that unites us with this magical double helix we call DNA.
Let us be mindful of those among us who are sick, who need medicines, produced from trees rare and wonderful and whose breath depends on our interdependence with the natural environment. Our prayers are held out for those lost in the tsunami in Japan, for those who have lost their homes or livelihoods, For our brothers and sisters in the middle east who are rising up to claim a democratic voice in Libya, Egypt, Iraq, and Afghanistan. For our soldiers and humanitarian workers, and civilian contractors who are trying to help create a space that is safe to rebuild. For the members of the press who risk their lives to try to let us know what is really happening. And yes, for those who fight against us, to protect their homes and ways of life. I pray for peace, for understanding, for harmony rather than discord in our differences. We need not all sing the same tune to make beautiful music.
Like the wind blowing through the leaves in a vast forest of many varied and beautiful trees we are all affected by the same storms, the same rain and nourished by the same sun. May we hold fast to our common ground and sink down our roots to be nourished in this place.
Amen, Shalom, and Blessed Be.
