Yew Trees and Time

This picture is of the Yew Tree at Rotherfield church, England. It’s a tee that is probably older than Christianity itself, and has been for centuries a venerated feature of the church yard. If you look closely you can see it has split down the middle and various wires have been attached to try and keep the whole thing vaguely upright, and alive.

Yes, it is historic and yes, it’s a survivor. But at what point to we let it go, since it’s clearly dying. Like the church itself, split, fragmented and held together by artificial means, we’re reluctant to declare it dead – even if it is not truly vital any more.

We all cling on to old beliefs, old ways of being, old concepts of who we are. And how difficult it is to let them go! The Yew tree is my witness.