The Tree of Life and Urban Forests

The Tree of Life - Rebecca Jean

 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
 flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 
through the middle of the street of the city.
On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,
producing its fruit each month;
and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  
 Nothing accursed will be found there any more.
But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants^[will worship him; 
they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  
 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22



Lake Ontario Park, Kingston

On the weekend we spent time at the bedside of a brother-in-law whose life is ebbing away. He's in Providence Care Centre, the impressive new hospital in Kingston which provides rehabilitation, complex medical care, restorative rehabilitative care, respite care, seniors rehabilitative care, palliative care and mental health programs. It is close to where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River, and there are views to Lake Ontario Park with its magnificent trees along the waterside walking path.

Our family member was not visibly conscious when we were with him, but we spoke to him and prayed with him and read scripture. One of the passages was from Revelation, the very end of the last book of the Christian bible. These verses return to the theme of the Tree of Life which is near the beginning of our bible in Genesis. In Revelation we're given the imagery of urban trees which are the source of various fruits and which line a waterway "bright as crystal."


Guest host Gillian Findlay chats with guests
 (L to R) Meaghan Eastwood, David Callow and Cecil Konijnendijk.

As it happens there was an international conference in Missisauga, Ontario last week called The Urban Forest of Tomorrow. CBC's Sunday Edition interviewed three presenters who spoke of the importance of green canopies within our cities and towns, and did so outside. In the intro the program offers:

Urban forests clean our air, lower our stress levels, reduce our energy costs and mitigate the risk of floods. Little wonder that urban foresters are ​now ​promoting trees as​ a critical part of a city's infrastructure, as essential as roads and sewers.​ ​
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/trees-are-essential-infrastructure-in-our-towns-and-cities-say-urban-foresters-1.4723265

I do have a special affection for trees, which is probably why this passage was part of my "bible play list" in the hospital room. Eventually by brother-in-law will be buried in a Kingston cemetery which has its own leafy canopy, and Ruth and I will be interred there as well.

Thank God for trees, wherever they may be found, and thank God to the witness of trees in scripture.



Catarqui Cemetery, Kingston, Ontario