Reflection for Monday 7th September The . Readings. Genesis 3. 24. 24 Then God drove the humans out of the garden; and at the east of the God placed the cherubim, and a flaming, turning sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Acts 5.30. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

Revelations 22.1-2. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Over the next 4 weeks we’re going to take a break from the Letters of Paul (we will be back!) and explore the themes from the Seasons of Creation: Forest/Trees, Land, Wilderness and Outback, and River/Water.

Trees: The Tree of life is a common symbol in a variety of religious traditions, including the 3 monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and . The Hebrew term etz chaim meaning “tree of life” symbolises the Torah or Wisdom (Proverbs 3. 18). As a name, it is frequently associated with Jewish institutions such as schools and synagogues as sacred places of learning and faith.

,Shajarat al-Kholoud ﺠﺷ ﺮ ة ا ﻟ ﺨ ﻠ ﻮ د :The Tree of Life/Immortality in Arabic appears in the and is also alluded to in hadiths and . Unlike the biblical account, the Quran mentions only one tree in Eden, the Tree of Life or immortality, which Allah specifically forbade as food for and ; The Tree of Life is an important symbol in many forms of Islamic art such a prayer mats, and the ornamentation of mosques, decorative tiles, furniture and jewellery.

In Christianity, the Tree of Life is usually associated with Jesus, his crucifixion on ‘a tree’, and through his resurrection and the coming of the Spirit, his offer of new life.

Prayer. God of tree and earth, sky and star, we give thanks for the abundant and life- giving breath of trees, their shade and beauty, their flowers and fruit. God of all that is, we give you thanks for your gift of trees. Amen

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