Trees and Fountains

There's a description of iconic, remote parts of my home country of Canada that have been joked about for years: "All you find there are trees, rocks and water." I'm actually grateful for these things.

Two of these three are either alive or life-giving. Whenever I visit cities or locations where trees are rare, I feel impoverished at some level.

In January, I took up the challenge of reading one chapter of the biblical book of Proverbs per day. I noticed during this time of focused reading that six of the central chapters each contained a metaphor relating to either a fountain of life or a tree of life.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Prov 10).

The fruit of justice is a tree of life (Prov 11).

A longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov 13).

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life (Prov 14).

A healing word is a tree of life (Prov 15).

Understanding is a fountain of life (Prov 16).

Trees and fountains of water are essential to our well-being, as are good words, reverence for God, understanding, and justice. Despite all the hype around stock market performance, AI technology, building booms, military spending, and money making schemes, what we all really need are things that nourish LIFE, physical, relational, and spiritual.

Photo taken August 2017, New Brunswick

May I ask you to join me in orienting yourself to the things Solomon and other writers call trees of life and fountains of life? No need to click or subscribe, to pay or donate. The hard work of being people of goodwill and integrity is what is being asked of us.

Inspired Word for 2026: Walk

My inspired word from 2025, ubuntu, was a daily reminder to build community with others, including those I did not yet know or who I did not know well. I closed the year by going on a walk with someone I had been distant from for several months. I was reminded of all we have in common as we walked and talked together. An ubuntu life helps me see how we are better together. It reminds me that slamming doors or building walls are not the right responses to difference.

For 2026, I settled on a very plain word "walk" for three reasons.

First, walking is a good metaphor for life. Even at a time when people get in a car to go short distances, walking is the way almost everyone gets from room to room in their homes and workplaces. Mobility is a cherished ability, especially when someone is recovering from a broken hip or a torn a ligament in their foot or leg. This year, I want to be conscious of my life as a walk. A walk with God and with the other people placed around me.

A brief stop on a summer hike

Second, walk is a key word in a Bible passage special to my husband and me. "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have peace with God and fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). By focusing on "walk," I will invest time in my relationship with my spouse, even as we anticipate our 30th wedding anniversary in the fall.

Third, I do enjoy physically walking every day. I don't have a Fitbit to track my steps or calculate the equivalent my daily walking would be in kilometres or miles. Still, I'm motivated to walk to work, to school, run errands (no pun intended), and get fresh air. While walking alone or with a companion, I'm always on the lookout for birds or signs of life in the natural world. Except on the rare occasion when ice pellets are hitting my face, every walk is a delight.