Branching Out to the Whole World

Image from David Attenborough
Fans blog.

Saint Francis reminded us of our connection to all of  creation in his prayer “Canticle of the Sun,” where he referred to “brother sun, sister moon, brothers wind and air, sister water, brother fire, and mother earth.” Our current x-ray and CT/MRI technology shows that physically, we are indeed akin to the rest of creation; for example, our lungs looks exactly like a tree branch and our veins mirror the veins of leaves and networks of rivers. The roundness of our eyes reflects the shape of the sun, and at the base of our fingernail, many of us have a half moon, called a “lunula” (“little moon”).

It appears that God the Creator left an imprint of expansive branching and circular wholeness on everything in the universe. Jesus himself used these images when he referred to himself as the vine and we as the branches and implied a circular relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit. He instructed us to go (branch out) to the whole (circular) world to spread the word of God’s inclusive love and mercy.

When we feel lonely, it can be a consolation to know that we are connected with all of life through the branches and circles found in our own bodies. We don’t know what God looks like, but if we are indeed made in the image and likeness of God, then we can assume that God too is one who branches (infiltrates everything to bring it new life) and makes whole (includes all in an expanding circle of love). Jesus’ words and our very bodies show that we are called to do the same.