Lessons from Cathedral Grove

In the first few weeks, I have had the great opportunity to visit several prominent cathedrals.  They have been breath-taking.  And the insights from each locations have been many.  But yesterday I visited Muir Woods, about 30 minutes north of San Francisco.  It is named after the conservationist, John Muir.  Muir Woods is the natural habitat for the California Redwood trees.  These trees, though not as wide as their relatives, the Sequoias, can grow up to 400 feet tall.  To stand in the midst of such trees is incredible.

A brief hike took me into what is called, Cathedral Grove.  God;s natural cathedral.  And there were many lessons to be found.  Imagine that these immense trees grow from a tiny, fragile seed.  Imagine that it takes the right conditions and care to reach their magnificient height. 

But the most inspiring and meaningful lesson is in what is called the Family Circle.  A family circle is a ring of trees growing in close proximity to one another.  In the center is the original tree which may have died because of decay, fire or other circumstances.  But, when the original tree died, the root system was still alive and strong.  Shoots began to form from these roots, creating a circle of new trees.  The new stand of trees, surrounding the original one, mature from the root system of that original tee. 

With the five mile hike that followed, I had a lot of time to think about the Family Circle.  It was an inspiring thought to imagine that the death of the tree is not the end.  New life continues to be formed and to grow.  The family circle of trees, surrounding the original tree seemed like an embrace, a symbol of gratitude for the original tree that took seed, put down deep roots and grew strong.  Where there was death, there is a now a loving symbol of hope.  God's Cathedral has some of the best lessons!