“Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.”
Psalm 39:4-6
Pale pink canopies spread far and wide across the stream. A gentle breeze swirls the clusters like quiet snow that lands in my hair and around my feet. I look up and see nothing but a pink and white blanket that covers the sky, a dazzling array of Sakura.
On a recent trip to Japan, the timing could not have been more perfect. Cherry trees were in full bloom and they were everywhere. On street corners and in gardens, beside pagodas and roadsides, the ubiquitous blossoms turned the otherwise beautiful landscape into a magical fairyland.
There are over 200 varieties of cherry trees in Japan, but the most popular one is a cloned, grafted version called Somei-Yoshino, or in English, Yoshino cherry. Although it typically does not produce edible fruit, it does produce 5-petal flowers that blossom in early spring. Full blossoms last only two weeks as the lovely petals transform from pale pink to white.
Japanese people revere the cherry trees. Perhaps it relates to Shinto religion and their belief that God is everywhere in nature. But their reverence could also be due to the sheer beauty of the cherry trees in bloom and realizing how fleeting those blossoms are. In Japanese culture, the cherry tree is symbolic of the fragility of life. Their response to this symbol of the fleeting nature of life is to enjoy the beauty of it while they can.
Psalm 39:4-6
Pale pink canopies spread far and wide across the stream. A gentle breeze swirls the clusters like quiet snow that lands in my hair and around my feet. I look up and see nothing but a pink and white blanket that covers the sky, a dazzling array of Sakura.
On a recent trip to Japan, the timing could not have been more perfect. Cherry trees were in full bloom and they were everywhere. On street corners and in gardens, beside pagodas and roadsides, the ubiquitous blossoms turned the otherwise beautiful landscape into a magical fairyland.
There are over 200 varieties of cherry trees in Japan, but the most popular one is a cloned, grafted version called Somei-Yoshino, or in English, Yoshino cherry. Although it typically does not produce edible fruit, it does produce 5-petal flowers that blossom in early spring. Full blossoms last only two weeks as the lovely petals transform from pale pink to white.
Japanese people revere the cherry trees. Perhaps it relates to Shinto religion and their belief that God is everywhere in nature. But their reverence could also be due to the sheer beauty of the cherry trees in bloom and realizing how fleeting those blossoms are. In Japanese culture, the cherry tree is symbolic of the fragility of life. Their response to this symbol of the fleeting nature of life is to enjoy the beauty of it while they can.
Life is indeed fleeting, as Psalm 39 reminds us. I experienced this when one of my brothers passed away suddenly. We must make the most of the time we have and even to enjoy it! But Psalm 39 also gives a warning to those who place their security in their wealth. Riches and privilege will not prevent death and may blind us to compassion for those less fortunate. Psalm 39 also warns us of rushing through life as a phantom, an apparition without material substance. In our clamor for wealth, prestige, power, or fame, we may focus on what is ultimately not important. How sad it would be to come to the end of our lives and realize our pursuits were all in vain and to wonder if we had even lived at all. What would happen if, instead, we pursued a life of existential meaning and compassionate purpose?
The passing of actor, singer, and activist Harry Belafonte earlier this year gave me pause. What impressed me about his life was not the fame he had or the wealth that went with it, but rather how much time and money he spent on civil rights activism as he tried to make this country a better place for all, especially for people of color. His passion for activism grew from his mother’s words to him when he was young, after she had experienced a long day of unsuccessful job hunting: “Don't ever let injustice go by unchallenged.” Belafonte certainly incorporated this mantra into his life for decades as he worked tirelessly throughout the Civil Rights era and beyond, even into his 90’s. Belafonte did not count security in his wealth as a priority but rather he stood up for those treated unjustly.
Does injustice motivate you to challenge it? Jesus’ focus was based on injustice under the oppressive Roman rule (Luke 4:18-19*). He came to bring justice to those who were treated unjustly – the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed. His entire ministry was devoted to nonviolent activism in order to help those who were powerless and oppressed by a system of injustice.
It is never too early to make the world a better place. But it can be too late if we procrastinate.
As I photographed the many cherry trees, I pondered the meaning attached to them in Japanese culture. The Sakura are both objects of beauty to be appreciated and warning signs to be heeded. My first attempt at Haiku (which took 2nd place in a contest!) sums it up:
Sakura petals
Fall silently to the dust
For life is fleeting.
God of nature and all things, thank You for the beautiful cherry trees and the reminder that life is fleeting. Help me make the most of the life I have, to challenge injustice, and to make the world around me better for those who are powerless, poor, and oppressed. Amen.
*Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Text and photograph copyright © 2023 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of cherry blossoms at Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa, Japan, and photo of Gojunoto Pagoda on Miyajima Island, Japan.
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AS A FOLLOW-UP TO LAST MONTH’S POST ON TRANSGENDER YOUTH:
To support vulnerable trans youth, consider giving to a suicide-prevention organization that focuses on LGBTQ+ youth called The Trevor Project at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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