Counting on … Lent 10

18th March 2025

“If you besiege a town for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. Although you may take food from them, you must not cut them down. Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?” Deuteronomy 20:19 

Whether it is Psalm 1 or in God’s planting of the garden of Eden, the Bible presents trees to us as the means of providing what is needful for life. It is a gift we often overlook – and as demonstrated in Deuteronomy, something we should not destroy. 

The following quote comes from the NHS Forest website.

“Trees, hedges, shrubs, meadows—they are all excellent for biodiversity and creating healthy environments, but trees in particular offer unique benefits not found in other planting options. In fact, humans need trees for health, which means the benefits of tree planting reach far beyond nice-looking grounds.” 

Do read the full article which lists the many ways in which we benefit from trees. 

Unknown's avatar

Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

Leave a comment