A Lenten Devotion by Willie Sordillo
The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:12
We’ve considered “a grove of trees” from a variety of perspectives during this Lenten season. This has served as a powerful metaphor for our spiritual lives, as it illuminates some of the ways we depend on each other, our church community, and our God.
In a time of climate crisis, when groves of trees can literally save our lives and the lives of future generations, The United Church of Christ is presenting us with an opportunity to turn this metaphor into action. In honor of Earth Day, which falls on April 22, the UCC has set a goal of planting more than 50,000 trees in the 10 days between April 17 and April 26. Both church communities and individuals can participate, and there are four options of tree planting programs to support, for as little as $1 per tree.
Programs include the Arbor Day Foundation, which plants trees in national parks; a reforestation project in East Africa; another in Zambia; and in Palestine at the site of Israeli military attacks. This is an opportunity to put our faith into action and to build on the metaphor which has informed our Lenten practice by planting a real-world grove of trees. Please consider taking this next step to heal our planet, and consider every tree you plant a prayer of hope.
For more information and to donate, please visit https://www.ucc.org/plantatree
God of All Creation, forgive us our trespasses against the resources you have provided which sustain all life on earth. May we resolve to live in a way which promotes health and life for future generations. Help us live consciously that we might reduce our waste and live in harmony with each other and the natural world. May we be planters of trees.