“There in God’s Garden stands the tree of Wisdom, whose leaves hold forth the healing of the nations.”  Kiraly Imre von Pecselyi wrote these words sometimes in the early 1600’s.  Erik Routley translated them into English in 1976,  and in 1987 K. Lee Scott put them to music in hymn #342.  In this brief sentence we are taken from the Garden of Eden through the entire Bible to the book of Revelations. 

The tree of Wisdom which was temptation to Adam and Eve has been transformed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus into life and healing for all nations.  The story of God with us is full of grace from the beginning into eternity. 

Locally the plum trees are starting to bloom; many other trees and bushes have buds swelling with new life.  A few more days of sun and blooms and little green leaves will begin to appear.  Because we also have evergreens in abundance in our yard, I am not sure I always appreciate the emergence of new life every spring.  In this spring reverie about God’s Garden I am committed to paying better attention to all the life forms given to us.  The trees are the biggest and the most noticeable with their bright colors, but I am also on the look out for tiny forms of life as well. 

Tomorrow I will talk about my worms, one of God’s lovely lower forms of life.  Amen.