Cannot See the Wood for the Trees

Cannot See the Wood for the Trees   Word on the Week     25th March 2023.

There has been a major emphasis on tree planting in Ireland.   It seems we have fallen behind the rest of Europe and the Government is keen that we catch up.   There is much marginal land which could do well growing trees to say nothing of the acres of used bog now growing scrub and brushwood.

The ideal is to have woodlands joined together to provide continuous cover for wildlife.   This will encourage creatures such as Pine Marten, a shy animal, to populate the woodland.   A consequence of it expanding its territory has been to put a check on the grey squirrel which was threatening to wipe out the native red squirrel.

But it is beneath the forest floor that most of the action happens.   There is a vast underground lattice work of fungal strands linking the roots of trees and plants.   It has been called the Wood Wide Web after its better known computer World Wide Web network which it resembles beneath the ground.

These fungi grow alongside the roots of the plant or tree in a mutually beneficial relationship.   In recognition of their healthy properties fungi are being produced in pellet form and planted in the soil along with new trees.

The destruction of this network arises when clear felling of trees takes place.   This partly explains why it is hard to plant the area and the tree growth is very slow.   A better method is to extract mature trees and replant immediately permitting the roots of the sapling to engage with the nutrients the fungi supply.

With Ash-dieback destroying many of our fine Ash trees the foresters task is to replace them with disease resistant local trees such as Oak, Hazel or Birch.   The network of mycelium in the soil will supply nutrients to the new roots which in turn become part of the Wood Wide Web.

We are accustomed to thinking of fungi as mushrooms and toadstools but these are only a tiny fraction of the immense underground growth of long sinuous threads of cells that supply trees and plants with nitrogen and phosphoros.

They date back to the Garden of Eden.  They were at the root of the tree of Good and Evil helping it to produce the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2 Verse 17).  And they were at the root of the tree that was hewn to make the cross which God used to expiate the sin of disobedience when Adam fell into sin which spread to the race.

God provided a way of escape for us from our sins.   The Holy Spirit provides the network to convey it to every believing heart which names Jesus as Lord (I Corinthians 10 verses 9 to 13).   

St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day                 Word on the Week                       18th March 2023.

One of the highlights of Dublin’s year is the commemoration of St Patrick’s Day on 17th March.  Like many today Patrick knew what it was to be a victim of war and to be cut off from his homeland.   He spent his enforced exile as a shepherd in the hills of Antrim where he had an encounter with the living God that gave his life direction and purpose.

After six years Patrick escaped from his captivity and returned to his family in Bannavem.   He answered the call to proclaim his faith and like St Paul before him became a priest of the Gospel (Romans 15 verses15 to 16).

The conversion of the Irish to Christ was headed by Palladius who appears to have had some success along the Eastern side of Ireland.   By the time Patrick returned there was an established mission field.   Patrick set about baptising converts into the Triune Name using the existing wells for that purpose.

While some of the Irish Kings welcomed Patrick others were less friendly.   Matters came to a head with the lighting of the fire on the hill of Tara by the High King to proclaim the Spring feast.   No fire was permitted to be lit while the ceremony proceeded.   Patrick lit his own fire on a neighbouring hill challenging the authority of the King and druids.

The High King was told that if the hostile fire was not put out now, it would never die out in Ireland!   The druids’ warning was well founded, the fire continued to burn and Christianity to spread throughout the country.

Yesterday’s Parade sported the banner ‘We are One’.   This referred to the oneness of humankind.   Certainly many nations were involved the largest bands coming from Canada USA, and Ireland.

Patrick would have enjoyed the music.  At least he left us with his song to the One he loved.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,                               I bind unto myself the Name,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,                               The strong Name of the Trinity;

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,                                 By invocation of the same.

Christ to comfort and restore me,                                   The Three in One and One in Three.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,                              Of whom all nature hath creation;

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,                                       Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Christ in hearts of all that love me,                                  Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.                          Salvation is of Christ the Lord.  

To which St Paul might say –

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.   (Titus 2: verses 11 to 14).

Paradise Now?

Paradise Now?                  Word on the Week                     11th March 2023.

This week the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he is to make Ireland “a world leader on gender equality in all its forms”.   This is a subject in which he has a personal interest and it provides him with some relief from the dreadful housing crisis in which the country languishes.

He proposes a referendum in the Autumn on Articles 41.1 & 2 of the Constitution to change its wording.   At present it recognises the Family as the fundamental unit of society.    It also states that a woman’s work in the home is a factor towards the common good.   It goes on to state that mothers shall not be required to work outside the home to earn income which may come with the neglect of their duties in the home.    Finally, he proposes to introduce ‘gender equality’.

In summary these are the three changes envisaged: – The definition of the family; The place of women in the home and introduction of ‘gender equality’.   The latter is contrary to God’s design which is gender complementary between male and female. 

The Article was written in a time (1937) when the traditional roles of husband, the breadwinner, wife, the homemaker, and the family were to be reared in a state of domestic harmony.  It acknowledges in no uncertain terms that families were the building blocks of society.

Fast forward to today.   We have the same parents and children but the circumstances are radically different.   There has been a rebellion against the traditional pattern of life.   ‘Man has become the measure of all things’ to quote Protagoras the Greek who lived 490 – 420 BC.  

The Bible introduces us to marriage in Genesis 1 verse 28.  The text goes on to anticipate a family i.e. ‘be fruitful and multiply’.   Both events pre-date the fall and are for all time.    There are numerous illustrations in the Bible using marriage as an illustration of the relationship between God and his people (Ezekiel 16 verse 8 and Ephesians 5 verse 32, Revelation 19 verse 7).

We live in an era where the sub-text of major discussions is to edit God’s word out of the conversation.   In our desire for ‘paradise now’ we want to introduce our design in place of the divine one.   It is somewhat like the man who turned up at the royal banquet in his own clothes.   It seems he had set aside what God had provided – similar to what we are doing today.   Jesus’ parable asked the question which is better answered in this life by committing your life to Jesus and then live to obey his word (Matthew 22 verses 1 to 14 especially 11/12).

Then it will not be paradise now we will be looking for but paradise future (John 14 verses 1 to 6).