Plant the sapling

English painter Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) is one of my favorite artists.

Here, his darling fatty Jesus considers the lilies of the field.


I was thinking of the saying/advice,
“If you’re holding a sapling, and someone says, ‘Come quickly, the Messiah is here!’, first finish planting the tree —and then go to greet the Messiah.”
—Both Islam & Judaism have versions of this saying.

A similar Christian “Do good, anyway” sentiment:
Supposedly when Martin Luther was asked what he would do if the world were to end tomorrow, he answered, “I would plant an apple tree today.”

And, again similarly, I think of a nursing home resident with dementia – – one of my favorite people ever— an old Jewish guy who used to say (repeatedly), 

 “The messiah is coming – – but don’t hold your breath.”

I love all these stories so much – – and their ennobling idea that whether there’s a divine presence or not – –either way, we’d do well to get on with the planting.