Hope and Possibility

 

These days, as I navigate the neighborhood, there are many big things to see. I have written about the beautiful autumn leaves. I have shared some of the yard decorations of the season as they have changed from Fall to Christmas. I mentioned the number of extra cars lining the streets as the holidays brought family and friends near. Yes, there has been lots of action and much to take in over the past two weeks.

So I was a little surprised when it was this little tree that caught my eye. I think I noticed it because of the contrast. All around it, the wind was stripping the trees of their leaves, moving the landscape from life to death. But in this spot, in the middle of a lawn, something new has been born. Something new is growing. As green as Spring, this new growth is happening as the fallen leaves blow past and the temperature drops. In one way it seems oddly out of place. In another, it is a welcome sight.

One of the images of this season of Advent is the image of new growth from what seemed dead. Isaiah writes, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” Out of a story that seems to have ended, a new chapter will begin. Out of the darkness, a new day will dawn. Out of despair, hope will shine. Out of longing will come fulfillment. This little tree seems to embody this big message. There is life ahead.

In the years of my adult life, I can’t remember a time when the world needed this message more urgently. There are moments, as we watch events unfold on the news, that we can feel that the story of promise and bright futures has ended. There are moments when we can feel that the night is long and the dawn still far, far away. On so many fronts there is uncertainty and fear, anger and division. We need a new thing to spring forth. We need some new life.

I’m glad that I noticed this little tree that brought to mind the Advent message. I’m hopeful that the homeowners do not mow it down or pull it out of the ground by its roots. I have a feeling I will be turning on that street from time to time, hoping for just a glimpse of it. The world needs the message it speaks, though without words. The world needs the hope and possibility it shares.

Peace.