Advent: Strong

I've been thinking on this one all day, often with a dose of irony. The Mercer Oak, more than 300 years old, seemed indestructible until the day it fell apart. Orual always thought Bardia was so strong but never saw the price he paid every day to be the soldier his queen required. Our nation is a superpower, and yet many analysts are wondering at the dynamics that threaten to tear us apart.

By contrast, this oak seedling is no more than 9 inches tall. It appeared in my flower bed four years ago, the spring after a squirrel (one presumes) buried an acorn there. I cut the seedling off at the base with my shears two years ago, and yet here it is, regrown and ready for another winter. There's a determined little dryad driving this one.

With time and in such a place, this tree can break rocks, heave concrete and knock holes in the foundations of houses. Left to its own devices it can cause all sorts of carnage amid the neat structures overlaying the world around it. Turned loose it can provide food for animals, shelter for the birds of the air, and even shade and a place to rest for a wounded general to direct his troops during the battle.

That is strength.


Copyright © 2016 by David Learn. Used with permission.


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