The Lesson of the Kauri Tree

In my last Blog (The Miracle of Compassion) I began by referring to the time I spent living and working in a residential Franciscan Community in the U.S.A. After a period of time I returned to New Zealand and later spent a number of years living with the First Order Franciscans in Hamilton, NZ. One of the memories I have from that time was the Kauri Tree that had been, planted in the front Garden of the Friary in memory of a young girl who died some years earlier. Each day, I walked pass the Kauri tree on my way to the chapel, when one morning I noticed a Kauri cone lying on the grass under the tree. What caught my attention was the beautiful dark mahogany-brown colour of the seed pod. For me, it was one of those profound moments that stirred my curiosity and led me to want to know more about the tree.

The Kauri tree (Agathis australis) is one of the world's largest, oldest, and mightiest trees. It can grow up to 50 metres tall and 16 metres wide, and they can live for more than 2,000 years. No wonder in Maori Mythology the Kauri tree is referred to as “Tane Mahuta” (which means “God of the Forest”): who separates the masculine sky from the feminine earth and allows light to shine upon the world of human kind.

Each tree also produces both male and female cones. The male cones ripen first and release their pollen, to be carried by the wind and fertilise the female cones. Then when the female cones are fully mature they release the 100 or so winged seeds within each cone which are spread by the wind.

In one sense, each of these seeds are like a little piece of eternity because each tree has the potential of living for thousands of years in their natural environment. However, the seeds don't stay fertile forever. They need to fall into the soil so they might grow, because eight months after it's release the seed's chance of ever sprouting slowly diminishes.

In it's own way the seed reminds us that we also need to 'seize the day' (carpe diem) – we also need to make use of the opportunities that arise for us in our daily life – as and when they arise – because time doesn't stand still for us either and those opportunities also pass away!

The Sunday's Gospel reading set for this week from John, is very similar to last week's reading from Mark. Both authors record the story of Jesus feeding a large number of hungry people from a seemingly small resource (a boys lunch) and in Jesus' hands the food become a 'Eucharistic feast' as Jesus takes the boy's gift, blesses it, breaks it and and invites the disciples to divide it among the crowd of people. In doing so Jesus initiates the generosity of compassion and hospitality that encouraged a similar response from the crowd, so all were fed, and all were satisfied, and nothing was lost or waisted.

The repetition of a similar Gospel story two weeks in a row reminds us that this miracle is worth retelling because we can be a bit slow to 'let the truth reveal itself' or to 'let the light to shine into our awareness'.

Ultimately, this story is not about people receiving a free lunch! Rather, it is given to remind us that we can never out give the generosity of God – which is similar to something Julian of Norwich, once wrote:

“(God) showed a little thing the quantity of a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand as it seemed to me, and it was as round as any ball. I looked therein with the eye of my understanding, and thought: “What may this be?” And it was answered generally thus: “It is all that is made.” I marvelled how it might last, for it seemed to me it might suddenly have fallen into nought for its littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: “It lasts and ever shall, because God loves it.” ¹

The mystery of the Divine Presence always surrounds each one of us. The challenge for me is while I may not always notice that presence, or have the time to stop and contemplate it's meaning, am I willing to try and live with a generous heart and an open mind to all that God – or the the Universe – wishes to say to me? Would this also be true for you?

If so, am I willing to make time regularly to engage in that mystery? Because, as Alfred Lord Tennyson once suggested, we are all invited to:

“Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can meet

Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”

Kia mau te rongo me te pai ki a koe i to haerenga

May you find peace and goodwill on your journey.

Phil

1https://www.juliansvoice.com/veronicas-blog/julian-and-the-hazelnut