The cherry blossom tree
30.04.2010
N
ature often surprises me with its power and its beauty. In April 2009 I visited the city of Morioka in north eastern Japan for some cherry blossom viewing with friends. I was captivated by one particular tree, by its beauty and by its strength. The tree was a cherry tree in the city’s downtown business area on the grounds of the city courthouse. The sign said it had been growing there for over 300 years.
In time it had grown right up through the middle of a large rock and had actually forced the rock apart as it grew. Local people call it “the rock splitting cherry tree.” Their respect for the tree is apparent in their care for its ageing branches which were propped up with supporting poles.
I had come to view the beauty of that area’s cherry blossoms but it was the strength of this solitary tree which captured my attention. I wondered about the tree’s history and what story does it have to tell me about my life?
The tree’s blossom’s were already disappearing in the Spring winds but the beauty and durability of this tree created in me a sense of awe and mystery. Perhaps it was something
like Moses experienced as he first gazed on the burning bush. For the people of Morioka it was obviously a symbol of perseverance and I read it as an invitation from God to persevere through obstacles in life and to keeping choosing life in difficult situations.
Cherry blossom time is a sacred time of celebration in Japan. The mass media daily track the blooming of the trees as it progresses through the whole country. The delicate beauty of the different shades of the pink blossoms touches the hearts of the Japanese people. They shake off the busyness of their everyday lives and take time to pause, to just gaze at the blossoms for hours, often partying beneath the trees. The sense of feeling one with nature is one of the characteristics of Japanese culture. Cherry blossom time seems to draw the best out of people as
total strangers pause to gaze on the blossoms together and uncharacteristically enter into friendly conversation with each other.
Cherry blossoms are known for blooming for only a short time before the Spring rain and winds scatter them. There is a poignant sadness about their short but beautiful life which made them a symbol for the life of samurai warriors in the past. This particular cherry tree in Morioka gave me another insight into the beauty and power of our Creator God alive in our world.
Fr Brian Vale is a staff member of the Columban Mission Institute in Sydney.
