Let the seasons speak, teach through story
AN APACHE STORY
There was an Indian Chief who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no, it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment. The Chief then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfilment of your fall. Author Unknown |
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Let the Season Speak, Teach through Art
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FOR REFLECTION Ponder the artist’s depiction of each of the seasons…. Is there one which is speaking to you more clearly than the others? What are you hearing? If one does not immediately capture your attention, choose one and let it speak…. What are you hearing? Spend some time sharing your reflection with the person next to you… or in groups of 3. |
Let the Seasons Speak through Prose
Parker Palmer explores the work of the seasons and how they can assist us to ponder our inner journey
Seasons is a wise metaphor for the movement of life… It suggests that life is neither a battlefield nor a game of chance but something infinitely richer, more promising, more real. The notion that our lives are like the eternal cycle of the seasons does not deny the struggle or the joy, the loss or the gain, the darkness or the light, but encourages us to embrace it all—to find in all of it the opportunities for growth.
We are participants in a vast communion of being, and if we open ourselves to its guidance, we can learn anew how to live in this great and gracious community of truth ….
The seasons reflect the central belief of our faith, the Paschal Mystery. Through embracing death and rising, Jesus shared with us the longing of his Abba that we too are co-missioned to keep God’s ministry of love and compassion alive in our times. In the following prayers we will let each season speak….
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