Editorial Reflections

The Fig Tree provides good food to sustain people

It is said that “we are what we eat.” 

In some ways, this is true, but I believe I am more of what I hear, see, read and watch.  In a normal day, I am bombarded with information that molds and shapes me.

A few days of news on CNN can shift my perspective.  I’m overwhelmed with the human potential for cruelty.   Sometimes I have to turn it off for my mental health.

I need to ingest a large dose of The Fig Tree. It recognizes and acknowledges the reality of evil but raises up people who take evil seriously and lift up hope.  God is still in charge.

In the February edition, I read about nearly 3,000 people marching in Spokane in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. How amazing!  In Coeur d Alene, the 2nd Street Commons provides innovative solutions and connections for people in need.  Hope!

In reality, Fig Tree readers are filled with hope.  They are living their faith with quiet, humble acts, with small miracles, like feeding the hungry, fighting for justice, saving the planet, one child, one tree, one piece of legislation at a time.  The Fig Tree is a voice to share your story.

Here’s a story that shares a reality:

One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.   One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is good.  It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”  The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one that you feed.”

The Fig Tree provides good food for our spirits, food which can sustain us.  With this nourishment, we are better able to serve the community and the world.  We move from informed to inspired to involved.

As The Fig Tree sustains its readers, we need you to sustain The Fig Tree.  We need your financial support, especially as we move into the future.  Please invest in The Fig Tree, in its present and its future, in an amount that is significant for you.  We especially value pledges, which can provide stability for planning and sustainability. 

You can donate online at thefigtree.org/donate.html. Your gift to The Fig Tree is an investment in hope.

What is the value of good food for our spirits, our souls, for the good that lies within us?  Share that with The Fig Tree.

Deidre Jacobson – Fig Tree treasurer

Copyright © April 2015 - The Fig Tree