Walking in and among the trees has always been a preferred form of meditation for me. These tall, stately beings nourish my soul. On sunny days, I mingle with the red maples, birch and oak in our yard. They are good company when I am stressed and anxious. I may even stop to give one a hug, absorbing the quiet peace, the strength and the wisdom that comes from a strong root system that holds them steady through life’s storms. Jeremiah was a prophet to his people during a stormy time. He began his service in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He lost his home along with others when Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians. He ended his career with his people in exile. Here, in this Sunday’s text, Jeremiah preaches a troubling message: They will not be going home. So how will they choose to live with exile as their new norm? Will they be like the shrub in the desert and not see when relief comes? Or will they trust God and be like a tree planted by water, sending its roots by the stream? We can ask ourselves these same questions in our own time of exile. It’s safe to say we won’t be returning to pre-pandemic norms. Everything has changed. Everything has been thrown into turmoil. So how will we choose to live? How will we, like the trees, put down strong roots near a nourishing source of water?
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