Luke 19:1-7
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”
Sycamore trees seem to attract attention
and divided opinions
From the folk who grumbled
that Jesus called Zacchaeus out of the branches of a sycamore
so that a man they deemed “less than”
could enjoy the company of the prophet -
To those incensed today at the destruction
of an instagrammable icon now lost forever.
And while our focus is on condemnation,
we lose sight of all that we ordinarily tolerate
The swathes of trees destroyed for profit
The habitats lost
Land laid bare
And all the everyday ways that we ravage the earth
and exploit its resources
with scant regard for those from whom
even the basic necessities of life are withheld
Before we condemn, may we reflect and resolve
to play our part in restoration
of the soul of creation
working alongside the creator of souls
The God who sees us and knows our stories
and offers to be our friend
so that, we too, can know transformation
Transformation that enables us to look beyond what we see
and what we hear
broadening our vision
and widening our compassion
to care for all of creation.
