Page 29 - MyFaith Mag April 2017

opinion
BORN A THORN
ANNE WILLIAMS
Easter is a period when we take time to contemplate the
significance of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ.
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is a story of both
sacrifice and inspiration. The way in which Christ lived his
life provides us with an example of what it means to live a
soulful and honest life, driven by love for follow man, con-
nected to God and carrying out his will.
At the start of the year, when abroad in England visiting
family, I had the opportunity to visit Glastonbury. Tucked
away among the rolling hills of Somerset, this quaint Eng-
lish town emanates a serene energy of peace. One of the
highlights of this trip was visiting the Glastonbury Abbey.
The Glastonbury Abbey is a tranquil ruins site of England’s
largest Abbey, where people are believed to have wor-
shipped for almost 2,000 years. The electric sense of history
is palpable at this site. Intricate designs still clearly visible on spring and once during winter. The thorn tree’s flowering in
the remnants of what must have been a majestical work of
architecture demonstrates the level of pride and effort put
into creating something in the name of God. The Abbey is
deemed the earliest Christian sanctuary in Britain.
Silence echoes in this place, adding to the prayerful es-
sences that the ruins emanate. This makes it easy to believe
that the Abbey is indeed a place where God dwells. A veil
of history, myths and fascinating legends hangs over Glas-
tonbury’s Abbey. According to archaeological discovers,
Christianity is believed to have been present in the Somer-
set region since its earliest days (estimated around the 7th
century), and Glastonbury was an important pilgrimage
site. Its Abbey at its prime became the richest in the country
and patron Saints Bridget, David, Patrick and Dunstan are
all believed to have been linked to the place.
The most interesting stories tied to this site are those of Jo-
seph of Arimathea. According to biblical reference, Joseph
of Arimathea was the Mother Mary’s uncle. He gave up his
own prepared tomb to be used for Jesus’ burial after the
crucifixion. Legend says that Joseph of Arimathea travelled
to Somerset together with a young boy Jesus and built a
simple place of worship by constructing a wattle and daub.
This construction became known as the “Old Church’, and
it is said that it later became the Abbey’s Lady Chapel, the
remnants of which are still seen today. Among the various
stories of the origins of the Glastonbury Abbey it is claimed
that Joseph founded the Abbey in the 1st Century.
Another legend linked with Joseph of Arimathea is that of
the Glastonbury Holy Thorn Tree. The story goes that Joseph
returned to Glastonbury after Jesus’ death. Joseph had
with him a staff that was taken from a hawthorn tree which
in turn was grown from a thorn of Christ’s crown. When Jo-
seph arrived, he climbed Wearyall Hill where his placed his
staff on the ground and rested. Legend dictates that the
staff then took root and spouted branches and leaves and
became the Glastonbury Thorn Tree. This tree was thought
unusual as it flowered twice a year – once as normal during
winter was accounted as a miraculous occurrence.
The story of the thorn tree stood out to me. Whether there
is any truth to it or not remains a mystery but it is a beauti-
ful story of hope. It is always fascinating to discover magi-
cal stories that are laced with subtle nuances of something
powerful hidden behind the literal interpretation of that
story. It is somewhat reflective of our creativity as human
beings as well as the fact that traces of our ideals such as
hope and inspiration often line the inner layers of the stories
we create.
Considering the fact that the thorn crown worn by Christ at
his crucifixion is symbol of suffering, the idea that a new life
of a tree could have been created from it holds a message
of new beginnings beyond that suffering. Perhaps it is even
a message of resurrection, just as Jesus himself was resur-
rected into a new life after his death. It is often difficult to
see the possibility of a positive outcome when in the midst
of difficulty. Let this be a reminder that God has given us
a human spirit with the ability to rise beyond suffering and
find rebirth both in the physical world and spiritually eternity.