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My grandmother told the following
story: three cedar trees sprouted in the once beautiful forests
of Lebanon. As is known, cedar trees take a long time to grow, and
these trees spent whole centuries contemplating life, death, nature
and mankind.
They witnessed the arrival of an expedition
from Israel, sent by Solomon, and later saw the earth covered with
blood, during the wars with Syria. They saw Jezebel and the prophet
Elijah, who were mortal enemies. They watched the invention of the
alphabet, and enjoyed seeing the caravans passing, laden with colorful
textiles.
One fine day, they decided to talk
about the future.
- After all I have seen - said the
first tree - I wish to be made into the throne of the most powerful
king on earth.
- I'd like to be part of something
that turns Evil to Good forever - commented the second.
- Myself, I'd like it if every time
someone looked at me, they thought of God - replied the third.
More time passed, and some woodcutters
came. The cedars were felled, and a ship carried them far away.
Each of those trees had a wish, but
reality never asks what to do with dreams; the first was used to
build a shelter for animals, and what was left over was used as
a prop for bales of hay. The second tree was turned into a very
simple tree, which was soon sold to a furniture tradesman. Since
the timber from the third tree had no buyers as yet, it was cut
up and stored in the warehouse of a large town.
They lamented woefully: "Our
wood was so good, and no one found anything fine to use it for."
Some time passed and, one starry night,
a couple with nowhere to stay, decided to spend the night in the
stable which had been built from the first tree. The woman groaned,
in the throes of labor, and gave birth, placing her son between
the hay and the wood propping it up.
Just then, the first tree understood
that his dream had come true: that this was the greatest king on
Earth.
Years later, in a modest house, several
men sat around the table which had been made from the second tree.
Before they ate, one of them said a few words about the bread and
wine before them.
And the second tree understood that,
at that moment, it hadn't just been supporting a goblet and a piece
of bread, but the union between man and Divinity.
The next day, two pieces of the third
tree were taken and assembled to form a cross. It was left to one
side, until, hours later, a cruelly beaten man was brought in and
nailed to the wood. Horrified, the cedar lamented the barbaric destiny
life had left it.
Before three days had passed, however,
the third tree understood its destiny: the man nailed there was
now the Light which illuminated all around. The cross made from
its wood was now no longer a symbol of torture, but became a sign
of victory.
As always with dreams, the three cedar
trees from Lebanon had fulfilled the destiny they desired - but
not in the way they imagined.
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