Look at the Trees        

Luke 21:25-36

If you were to drive around the Pleasant Hill neighborhood behind Bill’s Donuts, you might just see me strolling down the sidewalk. I like to take different routes from time to time, but mostly I cover the same streets, heading toward the little wooded area down by the swim club. I like to cultivate a route that allows me to notice what is changing in each season: the softening earth and first bulbs poking out of the ground; the sunflowers and asters in full bloom; the progress of the foliage turning; the stark form of the leafless trees against the slate sky. My walks help me appreciate the little things and connect to the larger rhythms of life.

It’s a little like the awareness that Jesus was trying to cultivate in his disciples in our gospel lesson today. You might remember the gospel reading from Mark two weeks ago about the destruction of the temple; today’s gospel lesson is Luke’s rendition of the same story. Jesus was telling his disciples about the end of the world—cosmic signs of change in the sun, moon and stars, the roaring sea reclaiming the land as the world descends into chaos.

But these signs of dissolution are also signs of God’s final act of salvation. Jesus quotes the Old Testament prophet Daniel about how a time of great suffering will be the precursor the return of Son of Man to bring God’s redemption to the world. Jesus says, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”

This passage occurs just before Jesus’ arrest. Jesus was pointing out that there were signs of hopefulness in the midst of coming hard times for his disciples and for himself. Likewise, Luke retold the story for his community who had endured persecution; and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple with the same intent. Even though it seemed like the end of the world, there were reasons to hope: God is at work. Salvation is near.

It sounds like good spiritual practice, especially given the chaos and suffering in our world. But how does one cultivate that awareness?

Jesus counsels his disciples first to look, to practice observational skills. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees,” Jesus says. Jesus is coaching his disciples to develop a knack for noticing what is around them and connecting what they see to God’s work. According to Jesus, you don’t need multiple spiritual guides or self help books, your own life experience is good enough. Different people have different ways of doing this: at the Fall Retreat last weekend, 50 middle school, HS, college freshman and adults practiced Take 5 – five minutes of quiet outside, all by yourself. It was a new practice for some, and challenging not to turn to music or social media. But with practice, the students came to treasure these times to slow down and simply notice - notice their thoughts; notice the world around them; notice God’s presence.               

Jesus also counsels vigilance. “Be on guard that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.” We all know what it’s like to be weighed down with the lethargy of hopelessness. But where does that feeling come from? I think in many ways drunkenness and worry are self-explanatory; drinking dulls the senses and worry turns you inward, neither of which is very conducive to noticing God’s presence or feeling hope.

Dissipation, however, requires a little more explanation. It means a dispersion, like smoke dissipating. Dissipation has the connotation of being a wasteful expenditure. Jesus is warning his disciples not to waste their energy in the wrong places. It is in stark contrast with his metaphor of the trees which steward their energy all winter long in order to burst into bloom in spring.

It’s the first Sunday of Advent, and given the pre-Christmas craziness, it seems to me that thinking through where to spend your energy in the next few weeks might be a pretty good spiritual practice. Which of the holiday traditions are most meaningful for you? What helps you be attentive and alert to God’s work in your life and the world around you? What would you like to leave behind so that you can focus on your connection with Jesus?

The truth is, if you are looking for signs of God’s work in the world, you are sure to find them. One of my favorite places to find hope in the world is the podcast, My Unsung Hero. Each episode chronicles a real story about someone thanking another person for help, usually a stranger. You might call it a podcast where people thank others for their random acts of kindness.

The one I heard recently came from a guy from New Hampshire named Gary Dietz. Gary has a special needs son, and on his 24^th birthday, Gary and his wife took him for a day in Boston, a favorite trip. The day started off well enough – a kindly woman at the ticket counter waved them on through the long line to get directly onto the ferry.

But very quickly things went sideways, and it became clear that Gary’s son was going to have a meltdown. What were they going to do? The city is no place to have a full-grown young adult have a physical meltdown. They needed to get him to a place where he wouldn’t hurt himself or others.

Fortunately, there were people along the way who were perceptive about what was helping and who stepped in to help: a waiter who brought ice water to them on the patio, thought the restaurant was closed; an Uber driver who calmly drove them back to their car even though by this point, Gary had to physically restrain his son. All along the way, people were compassionate in Gary’s family’s time of need.

Gary’s attempt to celebrate his son’s birthday was by almost all accounts a disaster, but what made him feel better about the day were the people who were aware enough to show compassion, people who noticed what was happening and responded in a helpful way. That made them heroes to Gary.

Here’s what he would say to these unsung heroes if he had the chance: “Your grace in helping me and my son in that moment may seem like a little deal to you, but to me, it changed our day. [It] also changes my perception of how hard the world can be sometimes for my son. So just because it seemed little to you doesn’t mean it wasn’t giant for us. I want to thank you for that.”

Be on your guard.  Look for the signs, Jesus says. They are everywhere.

Look at the fig trees and all the trees, Jesus says. If you take a walk, take time to look at the bushes and trees – the branches may look dead denuded of foliage, but if you look closely, you will see tiny little nubs along the branches. These are terminal buds which form at the spot where the leaves fall off. The buds protect the tree during the winter’s freezing cold, and in the spring swell and open, producing flowers and leaves. For me, they are a sign of hope: though we are entering winter with its dark and harsh conditions, the growth and promise of spring is already in the making.

May you slow down and pay attention this Advent. May you be on guard against the things that waste your energy and be alert to the ways in which God is calling you to look for signs of hope. May you see the signs of God’s work in the midst of challenge and chaos, and your life as part of the larger patterns of God’s hope and salvation.