On Saturday last I joined in a team of volunteers from St Oswald’s (Rugby) for what was called a Haggai Day.
This was
based around Haggai 1.8-9 Go up into the mountains and bring down
timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured,”
says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be
little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty.
“Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with
your own house.
The story of
Haggai is about the rebuilding of the Temple after the return from exile.
At St Oswald’s
we are gifted with the legacy of a building and grounds and as stewards we have
a duty of care. The building and grounds serve as an icon of God’s presence.
This year
the whole of the Church building is being reordered to make it fit for purpose
and a multi-functional space in the 21st century. That includes trying to reach a net-zero
carbon footprint. The building will also offer valuable community space.
On Saturday
our task was to bring the grounds around the Church and in the garden of the
Church Centre into good order. This involved removing of waist high weeds.
I was tasked
with trying to recover what I could of a rose bush that had become buried
amongst the weeds. I also set to
remove other dead sapling and bushes. Trying as best as I could to remove the
roots.
Fortunately, the roots I was dealing with could be removed without mechanical aid and using diggers. Just a solid mattocks and hard work.
I bought the
mattocks to deal with bamboo in our garden at home. Bamboo is not easy to
remove because its roots spread out wide and intertwines with other roots.
Did you know
that this is how the mighty redwood roots also develop. Their roots go deep, up
to 6-12 feet. But more importantly redwood tree roots intertwine and fuse with
one another, creating a complex web of connections. This network allows the
trees to share resources such as water, nutrients, and even information.
Through this interconnectedness, redwood trees can thrive in challenging
conditions and support the overall health of the forest ecosystem.
The sequoia
redwood trees located in California, are some of the biggest trees in the
world. The General Sherman is, in fact, noted as the largest known living
single stem tree on Earth! It is 275 ft tall, 25 feet in diameter, and is
approximately 2,500 years old.
Just glad I
didn’t have to try and dig one of those out!
6-12 feet deep may sound a lot but when we you consider the height and the weight and the weather conditions the redwood survives it really isn’t that deep. Where it gets it strength from is the interconnectedness with other trees, like arms linked together giving each other support.
This morning,
we continued exploring the theme of ‘transformation.’ Today’s story was the well-known story of the
woman at the well, John chapter 4.
That this woman was collecting water at the well at noon informs us that she was ‘outside’ the community and ostracised. That may have been for her dubious lifestyle, five husbands and now not married to the man she is living with, and that is something worth reflecting on. What circumstances had led her to this position, was this of her own making or was she the victim of male manipulation? However, or whatever it was we see her restored into the community after an encounter with Jesus she rushes off (leaving her water jar!) and tells them of Jesus.
‘I am
because we are.’
On Saturday
I wasn’t alone, we had a whole team of people of all ages and abilities doing
whatever we could within the limits of our capabilities.
I am
reminded yet again of a poem by John Donne, (1571-1631) ‘No Man is an Island.’
No man is an
island,
Entire of
itself;
Every man is
a piece of the continent,
A part of
the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is
the less,
As well as
if a promontory were:
As well as
if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine
own were.
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am
involved in mankind.
And
therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for
thee.
Who are we
connected to and with? Who is giving us support and who are we supporting? Is
there someone we could reconnect with; someone we could bring and welcome back
into the community?
Our
watchword for the week is Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a word from South Africa, much loved by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Madela. It translates to, ‘a person is a person
through other persons. The source of knowledge is, therefore, the community,
not the individual. Therefore, we could say that for Ubuntu, ‘I am because we
are’.
To explore more of what this looks like on the ground check out 'Together for the Common Good.'
Together For The Common Good - Home
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