The Beautiful and the not so Beautiful

It is interesting to see what is in our trees now that many of the leaves have fallen. One tree on my street dropped its cover to reveal a large paper wasp nest. I know that hornets are good for something (they eat pests, for example). But since I am allergic to them, the sight of a large paper wasp nest brings something considerably less than joy. As I was walking the dog past this particular tree, I thought to myself, “that thing has been here all summer, this close to my house, and I didn’t even know it! Ugh!” 

I was then struck by the fact that the leaves had covered not only a hornets nest, but also a squirrel nest. Since the squirrels don’t bother me and are just cute and fluffy, I didn’t have the same reaction. That tree had held both of these nests, presumably all summer, and I had walked the dog past it many times without knowing!

What a metaphor for life. Our lives hold within them both beautiful things and not so beautiful things, ease and hardship, friends and enemies. We ourselves also contain dichotomies within ourselves: we love and hate, we rejoice and grieve. We are complex creatures, none of us all good or all bad, and all of us a mix of beautiful and not-so-beautiful things. And yet, just like the tree still offered shade and beauty even with its juxtaposed contents, so too can we offer light even with our juxtaposed contents.

We were, after all, created as creatures with free will - Adam and Eve showed us that when in the second creation story (Genesis 2-3) they embrace both a desire for wisdom and a desire for control over God. We often call this eating from the forbidden tree the “first sin.” But, they weren’t that different from us - who amongst us wouldn’t like to wrest control from God every once in a while and do something out of anger or fear or smugness?

Y'all can put your hands down now!

Of course we want to follow Jesus as a people who embrace that which is good. Paul ended his letter to the Philippians by encouraging them to do “whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8). But, we also follow as complex people who sometimes also carry wasp nests in our hearts. This is the nature of being human.

So, when you turn on the news and someone tries to convince you that people on the other side of our profound political divide are all bad and you are all good - remember the tree. And remember that each one of us, no matter what complexities we carry around inside of us, are called and gifted by the Holy Spirit to be light in this world. YOU are called and gifted - now go and be a light!

Blessings,

Pastor Amy

PS - Need a soundtrack for this Thursday’s Thoughts? Let me recommend Michael Franti’s “Life is Amazing” or Amos Lee’s “Little Light.”