Art Reading Scripture

Tree of Life, Kvarnen (Restaurant) Stockholm Sweden

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing is fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2

Paired with the Tree of Knowledge painting at the restaurant Kvarnen in Stockholm is a Tree of Life painting. God prevented the man and the woman from eating of the tree of life lest they live forever, the consequence of which would be that evil might also live forever in their knowledge.

The tree of life largely disappears from the scriptures except for a few instances. Proverbs speaks of Lady Wisdom as a tree of life. "She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy." Pro 3:18 "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the wise capture souls." Pro 11:30 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Pro 13:12 "A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." In the tree of life is a restoration of goodness, righteousness that redeems souls, hope that is fulfilled, gentleness of speech that does not attack or degrade. The church merged imagery of the tree of life with the cross. In the cross forgiveness restored goodness from the evil of sin, and love overcame death to bring life to the world. The tree of life returns at the end in the Revelation of St. John. There too its purpose is to restore goodness through healing of the nations that have been divided, in competition, at war and in suspicion of each other throughout all generations. No good finally comes of these things, even though they at times become "necessary evils."

In Norse mythology the Midgard serpent consumes the world and the fire giants thrash the earth while the gods seek to save their realm. The final battle is called Ragnarok. The gods and their enemies slay each other, and the entire earth and its inhabitants is destroyed. Yet, there is a tree called Yggdrasil, an ash, or an evergreen (with Christmas Tree allusions), sustained by deep roots reaching to deep waters of life. Yggdrasil provides protection at the mythic end of time. Even though the tree is shaken and trembles with all creation it endures the assault that destroys the earth. At the very last it opens its trunk like a door and a man and woman, or boy and girl, Lif and Lifthrasir, are admitted to, welcomed into, the tree. There they find protection, life and sustenance until the dawning of a new day. "Lif and Lifthrasir, and they will hide in Hoddmimir's wood; they will have the morning dew for food; from them the generations will spring."(The Poetic Edda, Snorri Sturluson). Afterwards a new earth will emerge for the sea and a new creation will welcome the two children. G. Ronald Murphy, in Tree of Salvation: Yggdrasil and the Cross in the North, connects this story with the construction of Stave Churches in Norway and the Round Churches of Bjornholm, Denmark. The Stave Churches built to resemble a tree have artistic vine covered doors through which the children of God pass seeking life and salvation from all the evils of the world and themselves. Within the tree they find life and are sustained by the gift of heaven, the bread and the wine. They exit the tree to bring life and goodness back to the world. They learn goodness and forget evil. The Round Churches, constructed differently, create the image of the tree of life inside the building. A central pillar, like a tree trunk upholds the roof and represents the tree. Sometimes the pillar has wide openings through which worshippers pass, entering the tree's trunk, to approach the altar and receive the food of heaven.

The painting Tree of Life is paired purposely with the Tree of Knowledge for the two go together as images of death and life, sin and salvation, evil and good, despair and hope. Amidst the fruit of the tree are the children who have received life. They emerge from the tree as though they have eaten its fruit and then fall from the tree to play in a world made new. In contrast to the night scene of the other painting, this scene takes place in the day, in the never ending day of John's vision. "And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the LORD God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." Rev 22:5 The woman at the base of the tree may be an older and wiser Eve whose name means "living" or "the mother of all living." Perhaps she is Lady Wisdom of Proverbs finally able to feed her children and free them for goodness and life, play and joy. The trunk of the tree has a heart with names carved into it. Perhaps it is Lif and Lifthrasir, or Adam and Eve, or God's name and ours.

Keep the faith. Say your prayers. Love like Jesus.

Pastor Tim Bauer