Broken.
Burned.
Dead.

What happened first?
Wind? Drought?
The fire that scarred?

The sycamore.
A symbol for our lives?
For our world?
What is our wind? Our drought? Our fire?
What saps away our strength?
Are we dead?
Has tumult and disease and distrust killed us?

See the tree?
Look closer. What do you see?
Life. Can you see it?
New branches new leaves pushing through the charred trunk.
Growing in new directions from the broken branch.
Stooped and scarred.
Yet still alive. Gloriously alive!

See the tree!
A symbol of life out of struggle.
A symbol that life is not always upright, and that scars are beautiful.
See the tree!
And have hope.