The Ultimate Witness Tree
Witness trees are living organisms whose lives span the present with past (usually tragic) historical events, such as Civil War battles, or terrorist attacks. The National Park Service administers the Witness Tree Protection Program. See this Smithsonian article to learn more about this program and the trees that it protects.
I discovered 2 witness trees on a recent trip, the Sickles Oak, near Trostle Farm in Gettysburg, and the Burnside Sycamore, seen below at the far end of Burnsides’ Bridge at Antietam.
The concept of Witness Trees caught my fancy. The idea of life contemporaneous with both my life and that of Civil War soldiers links my heart to the past in a way that history books cannot. While there is nothing magical about such trees, they stand as reminders of significant events that we do well as a nation to remember.
When we moved into our house twenty some years ago, the maple tree at the top of this post was a waist high twig. The seller asked us not to cut it down, and we have both nurtured and been nurtured by it these past 2 decades. It stands as a witness to the beginnings and growth of our family in this home, providing shade and beauty in addition to (mostly) happy memories.
Our witness tree in a different season.
As I pondered our own witness tree, I realized that there is an ultimate, spiritual witness tree that Christians remember in the Eucharist (communion, if you are a Protestant). Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the ultimate witness of His participation in human life and suffering. For over 2000 years, humans have recalled this momentous event in history. May we never forget.
Advent 2018