Greet the Fig Tree

I love trees. They provide so much to the earth such as oxygen, shade, beauty and a place for birds to rest and fruit to grow. I love the trees of summer with their lush green leaves, and nice silhouettes in the twilight of the dog days. The trees of the season of autumn are just as glorious but bring about a feeling of reflection and melancholy. Their leaves showcase an array of colors. I never grow tired of the trees of the harvest.

Trees bring about an importance in nature as well as literature such as Lord of the Rings. In this story, the trees can talk and walk and are the peacemakers in times of war and division. In the children's story, 'The Giving Tree', the young boy learns that the tree is full of love and generosity even as he grows older and stops spending time with it. Trees also give a metaphorical meaning in places such as the Bible, including a certain kind of tree, a fig tree. But first some background information regarding fig trees. "The fig tree is very common in Palestine. Mount Olivet was famous for its fig trees in ancient times, and they are still found there. 'To sit under one's own vine and ones own fig tree' became a proverbial expression among the Jews to denote peace and prosperity. The fig tree is a picture of Israel, to highlight the fact that what should have been most fruitful turns out to be not fruitful at all."

Something else to know about fig trees is that the fruit grows before the leaves, and these trees can bear fruit in spring, summer, fall, and even winter. Also figs are prized for their sweetness and flavor. Trees and particularly fig trees appear a good amount in the Bible and provide deep meaning. For instance, the parable of the barren fig tree portrays the unfruitful and unfaithfulness of Israel and how the tree will be cut down if it will not bear fruit- pertaining to Israel's faith and relationship with God. Jesus states or rather demands that this fig tree will no longer bear fruit. A little while later, one of his disciples, Peter sees the same fig tree and realizes that it is destroyed, barren and he tells Jesus. Jesus says to his disciples if you have faith even to move a mountain, then it will be done.

The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis and the tree of good and evil. This was the world's first sin against God that structured how human beings are born with original sin. The sin that Adam and Eve did was the biggest and most common temptation from the devil which was knowing as God knows and not relying on God. It is easy for us as humans to forget that God is in charge and has a plan for our lives, and that we are not gods. After Adam and Eve sinned they realized what they had done and hid. In response to their guilt they covered themselves with fig leaves. The parable of cutting down trees based on their fruit, and by their fruit you will know them. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness. These are just a few examples in scripture that deal with trees, figs and fruit, and there are more that convey meaningful and insightful messages as well.

I hope for say hello to the fig tree to be a place relating to scripture in the Bible, the history, culture, religion and geography of Israel and the Middle East specifically during Jesus' time, the differences between Islam and Christianity and conversion stories to Catholicism, the languages of the Bible and the similarities between Arabic and Hebrew. These are just some ideas that I have for this cultural and spiritual blog that my heart has been yearning to write and create as well as desiring to share and continue to progress in my learning. Just like the branches of a tree that continue to keep growing, expanding, and blooming, I hope for this fig tree to do the same and bear much fruit.