Plant a tree and save the world?

Readers may recall this statement, which was used last year to encourage us to start planting, and we recall children coming out across the whole countryside to plant trees, writes Austen Alexander.

However, it seemed that, right on cue, fires started across the globe: Portugal, California, South America, Siberia; and we shall never forget Australia, as we contacted friends and relatives to check that they were okay. Many birds and animals were lost, and trees.

The tree planting to mitigate global warming seemed to get off to a poor start, and made me wonder how much the burning of trees added to global warming in this past year? (No help available on the internet to answer this query.) I remember the first big push to plant trees was in 1973. There was a rhyme at that time, which went: ‘Plant a tree in ‘73; plant one more in ‘74.’ When the drought came, someone added: ‘See them die in ‘75 and burn the sticks in ‘76’.’

When I was in Primary School we learned nursery rhymes, and then more serious poetry. A poem I remember was by Joyce Kilmer; it is called ‘Trees’.

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

We didn’t give up on tree planting. So, about sixteen years ago we planted a hectare of trees (see photo); yes, a little bit of subsidy is a great incentive, and we took advantage of it.

My grandfather was a lover of trees, and many that he planted over a century ago remain to this day; he didn’t need Greta Thunberg, or any of the present day gurus who advise her.

We do know that trees burn, and well managed grasslands act as a fire break. In the old Emerald Isle, we have green grass, and the great Creator of the universe, after He created the world, the first thing He commanded this earth to bring forth was grass (Genesis 1:11). The mighty Creator knows how to mitigate global warming; for I can never recall a field of well managed grass being on fire.

But there is a tree that can save this world. It is Calvary’s tree. In 1 Peter 2:24 we read, ‘Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree.’ When Peter and the other disciples were being hounded by the authorities and the captains of the temple, they decided that it was better to obey God rather than man. They said to those men: ‘The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins’ (Acts 5:30-31). See also 13:29: ‘And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead.’

So there is a living, loving Saviour seated in glory at God’s right hand, and the good news is that He is coming again.

We are living in strange days with a global lockdown. What if He should return for His people - that is, all who have repented of their sins and taken Him as their Lord and Saviour? Perhaps it will be today, see Acts 1:11. It is vital to be ready.

There is life for a look at the Crucified One,
There is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved,
Unto Him who was nailed to the tree.

Submitted by Austen Alexander, Northfield Bible Weeks 12-19 July, DV. Many News Letter readers have been with us over the past 33 years, and you will be most welcome this year also. The meetings will be in the form of a Drive-in. See advert for details.