Matthew
24:32-35
And Jesus said, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as
soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that
summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that God is
near, at the very gates.”
Fresh figs are so delicious. Add a drizzle of honey and a dollop of
thick yoghurt for an even lovelier taste. Or, dried figs are yummy on their own
or in fig newtons. And I read that ½ cup of figs has the same calcium as ½ cup
or milk.
Fig
trees are symbols of abundance, fertility, and sweetness. Perhaps Jesus was
considering this symbolism. Certainly, tradition has Buddha sitting under a
Bodhi tree, a large and old sacred fig tree when he achieved enlightenment.
But is this text just about figs? Actually, it’s about seeing signs of
God being near, as near as our gate, or in our more contemporary context, our
front door.
As I think more about God being as near as my front door, I wonder
whether God is outside waiting to be let in.
Or, is God inside waiting for me to share with others and the world.
I wonder how I lock the door to hold back possibilities of rejoicing in
the nearness of God.
Joseph Campbell, mythologist and writer, said, “Follow your bliss and
the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” That sense of a door opening to the universe is beautifully depicted by Rollin Kocsis.
And so I wonder, what gifts is God or the universe willing to offer when I’m willing to
be open to the nearness of God and God’s Spirit?
