Asked in the Gospels.
When I meditate, I am firmly planted in the Garden of Eden, naked, but not afraid. I am comforted knowing that I am truly blessed to be a child of God. In the center of this Garden is a beautiful tree, a glorious creation of God to show me that I am perfect in His eyes.
That tree is Christ, boldly standing there with His arms outstretched, not impaled on the wood, but the wood itself, His arms reaching to God as an example as to how I am to live my life. I await the loving hand of Jesus to plant my feet in the rich loam of God’s Eden, so that I too can become a tree of promise for others.
Jesus reminds me to accept His invitation to love God and to love my neighbor as myself. However, it is more than a simple invitation; it is also an invitation to brotherhood. Loving my neighbor is only the beginning; we must join together to share our lives. When I hurt, I must allow myself to be vulnerable and open myself and my pain to others; likewise, I must lay my hands upon my neighbor when he is in pain. Together, we can bring love, peace, and healing to our world.
By making this promise and being this tree, I become the very answer to Jesus’s question, “Who do you say I am.” You are the tree of my life, allowing me to spread my arms towards our loving Father in heaven, comforted by the warm, loving presence of Him in my life. And, I must help others to become trees and the circle widens.
© Russell Kendall Carter
Meditating to Heal 