May

The hawthorn, also known as the May tree, by the middle of this month, will be dripping with blossom.

May is a time of returning life and rapid growth everywhere you look.  Wildflowers adorn the hedgerows; trees are bursting into leaf including a tree that’s strongly associated with May.   The hawthorn, also known as the May tree, by the middle of this month, will be dripping with blossom.  There is an old nursery rhyme which speaks of ‘gathering nuts in May.’  Nuts in May you may exclaim!  What on earth does that mean.  Well, no one has a definitive answer, with one idea being that the word nuts actually mean knots or posies of flowers of the blossom, which are picked as the days warm up and at May Day celebrations.

According to the Countryside charity CPRE, “the young leaves can be eaten when they emerge. Their nutty flavour earns the hawthorn another nickname: ‘bread and cheese tree’.”

CPRE continues,” ‘Along with its culinary uses, this hedgerow shrub has cultural links, one of which is a well-known legend relating to the town of Glastonbury in Somerset. It’s said that Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Christ after the crucifixion, came to Britain and visited Glastonbury Tor with some disciples. He thrust his staff into Wearyall Hill, and the area sprouted into a hawthorn.

Some of the supposed descendants of this tree, the Glastonbury Thorn, can still be found in the area. Unusually, these flower in December as well as in May. A sprig is cut from one each year and sent to the Queen to decorate her Christmas table.”

Well, whether you believe these old stories or not, sometimes it can be hard to accept what someone is telling you and a story about doubt which springs to mind is one of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus.

Following the events of Easter Day, it is clear that in John 20, Thomas was not with the disciples who met with the risen Christ initially.  In fact when you stop to think about it, it is a stretch to imagine someone you know to be absolutely dead and buried, alive again – although Jesus did keep telling them it would happen!

It was only a week later when they were all gathered in a room that Jesus appeared to them again and oh dear, Jesus singled out Thomas.  Now, it is probably a wise thing to sometimes question statements, particularly if a piece of news is second or third hand, however, what Jesus was saying was that Thomas had not believed the story which had been relayed by the very disciples Thomas had come to know and trust. 

News or gossip may not be quite what we think it is, but when a reliable source shares something important and when that story is backed up by everyone, surely Thomas should have just believed? 

We have a Church and a faith in the Risen Christ because of witnesses who shared this amazing news – news which was first shared in John’s Gospel by Mary Magdelene. 

I am writing this article for today because I along with the worldwide Church believe the incredible account.  We were not there, we did not see Jesus die or rise to new life, but we believe in the bravery and transformation that caused frightened and confused men and women to go forth in all the world and to share the wonderful news.  Will you?   

And as we have declared all over the world.  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed Alleluia!