Ashes

I went to the Morton Arboretum a couple of months ago.  I had a very lovely day.  I rode my bike around, went for a little hike to Big Rock (yes, that's quite the creative name but it is indeed pretty big), and enjoyed the beauty of all the trees.

"Big Rock"

The Morton Arboretum has an art exhibit, Nature Unframed, that “promises to be unlike any other exhibition you’ve seen before.”  And it’s true.  There are 11 pieces of contemporary art around the arboretum created on and around the trees.  Sometimes I enjoy a little contemporary art- I like trying to figure out what the artist was thinking when he or she created the piece.  I like the challenge of thinking about the deeper meaning of the art.  I’d say it’s worth going to see.  The exhibit runs through November 27^th in case you are interested in going to see it. 

There was this tree with its trunk and some branches covered with crocheted “lichen” patches to remind us of the interdependent relationships and the ties that bind us all together.

A tree wrapped in yellow cloth- the yellow draws our attention to this tree that recently died, reminding us not to take trees for granted.

And then there was this piece:

Charred dead trees in a place that is supposed to be preserving and protecting trees.  My immediate response was “Well, that’s ugly, really morbid, and completely un-optimistic.”  I was just about ready to stomp off in protest, but then I read the little sign about the piece of art.

And then I almost immediately liked the piece of art.  Yes, this charred wood does make us think about death, but it also reminds us of the cycle of life and death.  There are so many times when life has and will come from death.  Many times life is not possible without death. 

It made me think about Harry Potter and the phoenix, the phoenix that is reborn from ashes. 

And it made me think of a song that is one of my favorite songs right now.  The song is Rise by Shawn McDonald.  You can listen to it here:

Ashes signify something that has been destroyed, the end of something that no longer exists, the memory of what was.  Ashes remind us of our mortality (ashes to ashes, dust to dust…) and are often associated with mourning and grief. 

And yet ashes are signs of hope.  We must get rid of the old before the new can come. 

I think we all have experienced times when we might have felt a little like Job who sat in a pile of ashes after Satan took away Job’s wealth, children, and health in order to tempt Job to curse God.  Job suffered extreme grief and physical, emotion, and spiritual pain.  But, Job does rise from the ashes and he goes on to live a long and blessed life thanks to God’s blessing.  He didn’t get his children back, but he was blessed with 10 more children and plenty of grandchildren and great grandchildren.  He didn’t get his original wealth back but he was blessed with even more wealth.  The time of suffering Job endured was not erased, but he enjoyed many years of joy after he rose from the ashes.   

And likewise, each and every one of us can rise from any “ashes” in our own lives.  We won’t be able to get back whatever it was those ashes were before they were ashes, but we can live with confidence “cause he who is in me, is greater than I will ever be, and I will rise.”  We will rise as individuals, and perhaps more importantly, our world will rise out of the ashes.  Our world finds itself in some great trouble, but one day, we will rise out of these ashes.  One day there will be no more trouble, no more pain and suffering, no more injustice.