One of the images Isaiah presents us with during Advent is a
shoot arising from the stump of Jesse (Is 11:1). I thought of this image when I
noticed a vibrant painting by Betty LaDuke, “Eritrea: Tree of Life,” at Sophia
Center. From the seemingly lifeless stump Christ has arisen, but he is not
alone—God the Creator and Spirit hover over him, and he has invited us to join
our human flesh to the eternal tree of life.
In our own incarnation in the tree of life, we may find
ourselves to be roots, which provide sustenance and a network of communication; trunk, which offers steadfast support; branches, which provide balance
and flexibility; leaves, which feed on the light and offer shade; or seeds,
which are imprinted with the life force that ensures the tree will survive. As
with the body of Christ, all of us in the tree of lie have distinct roles and characteristics
and all of us are needed in the grand design of the wholeness to which we are
called.
As Isaiah points out, Advent is not a time to be stumped but
to join Christ in the flowering of a new creation.
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