The Tree People

This is an adaptation of a parable by The Rev. Dr. Peter Schmeichen in his book, “Christ the Reconciler.”

Once there were some people who lived up in a huge tree. Over the years, they had built an amazing tree house. There was plenty of fruit to eat on the branches and there were plenty of branches for climbing and exercise. Plus, they had an extraordinary view! Sometimes people would come to visit them in their tree house. There came a time, however, when the young people wanted to leave. Some wanted to set up tree houses of their own in a different place and others wanted to explore life on the ground. The Tree people were anxious and they devised ways to bring people to their tree house:

They held festivals where they gave away the fruit from their tree. This worked for short periods of time, but at other times, it was very lonely. So they tried to make their friends and children feel guilty for not visiting them in the tree. This only caused people to stay away. Hen they thought they would threaten people: they would throw branches down on people if they did not come to their tree. But this was not successful, since people just walked in wider circles around the tree. Life became more and more frustrating, as they could not meet their needs nor could they spend much time with other people. So their life came to a close. They tried every manner of strategy to meet their needs, except for one: it never occurred to them to come down from the tree.

And, Dr. Schmeichen comments: “If the church is to be renewed, it must undergo reform by means of the gospel. It has tried all manner of strategies dealing with program and organizational analysis, church growth and fundraising. No matter how badly these efforts fail, it is reluctant to turn to its priceless treasure. For the gospel is, after all, no simple remedy that can be controlled by individual interests or ecclesial agenda. It is the power of God for salvation, an encounter with the living God who will change things, as promised, only according to a divine will quite contrary to ours.”

What does it take for us to experience ‘gospel reformation’? What does it take to get us to come down from the tree? Dr, Schmeichen wrote this is 1996 and as parables should, this one always makes me ponder. What does it make you think about?

Blessings – Laura Lee