麻豆社

The other day I was in the Chelsea Physic Garden, one of our oldest botanical gardens, looking at the trees. Unusual ones like a banksia, whose flowers have been used by Aboriginal peoples for medicines, and betula pendula, or silver birch, whose bark is used in a tincture for rheumatism. These treatments highlight how humanity can work with what nature offers rather than against it. But there鈥檚 increasing evidence that exploitation has gone so far that we鈥檙e in danger of wiping out thousands of tree species. This week the State of the World鈥檚 Trees survey was published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. It found a third of the world鈥檚 50,000 species are under threat. Clearing land for crops and livestock, and logging is causing the destruction.

Of course, trees have been felled for generations 鈥� for making furniture, firewood, building homes, and even for instruments of torture. Think of the cross, used in crucifixion by occupying Roman armies. That common form of torture and execution, used to kill Christ, became the symbol of Christianity, revered by his followers. Although for Christians it became a sign of hope because of Christ鈥檚 redeeming sacrifice, the cross was also a symbol of man鈥檚 inhumanity to man, and capacity for cruelty.

But perhaps it鈥檚 time for that cross, that dead piece of wood, to be a reminder of another brutality as well 鈥� the way in which people constantly cut down nature without a moment鈥檚 thought, as if it will always provide, rather than being a finite resource. The State of the World鈥檚 Trees survey does offer some hope 鈥� that 30 per cent of tree species can be found in botanical gardens and seed banks, but the future鈥檚 far less certain for others.

In Pope Francis鈥� encyclical, or teaching document, Laudato Si鈥�, about the environment, he too warned against the destruction of God鈥檚 creation, and warned how humanity鈥檚 arrogant dominance of the world is upsetting the delicate equilibrium of creation. His plea was a call to action.

One project inspired by his Laudato Si document is Laudato Tree, which aims to grow seven million trees as a great green wall across Africa and create a new harmony with nature. But planting trees is just one part of aspect of that harmony; it requires a change of heart too, a recognition of the wonder of God鈥檚 creation. As the Sufi writer, Ali al-Khawas, who was quoted by Pope Francis in his document put it, there鈥檚 a way of connecting with God in the movements and sounds of this world, 鈥渨hen the wind blows, the trees sway, water flows, flies buzz, and birds sing鈥�.

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