The Legend of the Dogwood Tree

I am not much for religious commentary, but I really do love the Easter season. Maybe because it goes hand in hand with the newness of spring, or maybe its the simple message of hope, but it is a time in the Church that I really just enjoy. On that note, when I was little, we had a magent on my fridge that said this:

In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
'Twas strong and firm it's branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."

Every spring I would wait for the one little Dogwood in my backyard to bloom to see if it would once again prove the poem to be true. And now, as an adult with Dogwoods abound in my backyard, I am yet again capitvated by their symbolic nature.









It might just be a legend, but its a good one. A reminder that beauty can come from pain and from despair, hope.