Oak Tree Parable

THE PARABLE of the OAK TREE

Once there was a man who traveled alone through the searing heat of the desert, looking for a cool place where he might find refuge from the brutal sun and regain his strength, but there was none to be found. For many miles he continued his journey through the sand and rock of the barren wilderness, praying for the smallest hint of shade or the tiniest breath of wind to cool him, but still none was to comfort him.

He was about to despair of ever finding relief from the relentless heat when he spotted a massive Oak tree shimmering on the horizon, its great bulk creating a large shady area beneath its welcoming arms, bidding him forward. Thinking that he had found salvation at last, he ran towards the mighty tree and the respite it offered, but found that while he could draw near to it, he was unable to step into the shadow it cast around its base. Instead, the tree seemed to retreat from him, its cooling shade always just beyond his next step, always sliding away as if repelled by a magnet.

But the man refused to give up. Repeatedly he tried to enter into the shade of the massive Oak only to find it retreat from him once more. He tried circling its great girth-a task he found easy to do-but each time he would dart for the tree's great trunk it would slide away again. Anger burned within the man as he tried again and again to enter the shade, and with each successive failure his fury grew stronger and sharper and more clearly defined.

Finally, just as he was about to give up, he noticed something most unusual. There, in the darkest and coolest part of the shade near the trunk, sat an old man, small and gray as ocean froth, upon a small bench watching him. Sipping from a cool glass of water, he seemed almost bemused by the man's futile efforts to enter the shade, but said nothing as if content to simply watch him in his futile efforts to cross into the shade.

"Old man," the furious man finally shouted, "how did you enter into the shade? It is impossible!"

The old man smiled and shook his head. "Not impossible. Easy."

Rage tore through him at the old man's words but he kept his composure, certain that perhaps the old man knew a way he did not.

"Easy? I have been trying to enter for many hours and find the tree retreating from me each time. How have you done it?"

The old man took another sip of his water, the condensation on the outside of the glass demonstrating how perfect the water within it was, a sight made the man crazed with thirst.

"You cannot enter alone," he said at last, pulling another mouthful of water through the straw in his glass.

"I cannot enter alone?" the man asked, bewildered. "But there is no one but me. How can I enter with another if I am by myself?"

"Pray that there will be others," the old man answered simply. "They will come if you seek them out."

The man shook his head at the old man's words, certain that he was insane. "You can help me. Come here and bid me to enter."

"I cannot help you, but the help you seek is within you."

Frustration tore through the man afresh at the old man's words. He would have torn him to pieces were he capable of getting to him, but the tree obstinately refused to let him cross into its cool shadow. "How can I bring others? As you can see, there is no one else! Only you, and you are already within the shade."

"Pray for those who also seek the shade. They will appear when you are ready to lead them," he answered simply as he took another long draw from his glass of water.

The man walked away, confused and uncertain, but pondering the old man's words. For hours he wandered the desert, thinking about what they meant, considering and weighing them in his heart. Finally deciding that perhaps the old man knew what he was talking about after all, he decided to take his advice and began praying. Self consciously at first but with growing determination, he prayed: "Almighty Spirit, I am dying in this barren wilderness. Please bring others to me that I might find my way to safety, I beseech you."

The man repeated the prayer, dozens, even hundreds of times, calling upon Spirit to hear him, until he felt it pointless and was about to give up. After what seemed an eternity, however, he spotted another figure shimmering in the heat in the distance and he walked towards it. It was an old woman, her skin red and cracked by the sun, her frame as frail as a robin's egg. "Will you lead me to the shade of the great Oak tree?" she asked him through parched lips, her words as soft and frail as the rest of her body.

The man swallowed hard. "I will do what I can," he said.

"What of me?" another man, appearing from nowhere behind the old woman, asked. "I too am parched. Will you show me well I can find relief from this heat as well?"

The man nodded as he watched in wonderment as more people, some young and some old, some wealthy and others poor, some men and women of letters and others of the street, appeared on the horizon, all seeking the same thing. Finally, when a multitude had formed, he nodded in the direction of the Oak tree. "Follow me," he said nervously. "I will take you to the shade of the tree."

With that, the man led the people towards the tree, drawing more confident with each step that this time he would be able to find shelter beneath its branches, for he was certainly no longer alone in his quest. However, as he reached the edge of the tree's great shadow, it again retreated from him, once more filling him with frustration and fury.

"Old man," he shouted into the coolness of the shade, "I thought you told me I could enter if I brought others, but I see now that your words are lies! The shade continues to resist me! Tell me why!"

A subtle smile curled the corners of the old man's mouth. "Tell me, have you brought these people here for your benefit, or for theirs?"

The man was about to answer but stopped himself as he considered the old man's words. He wanted to deny the truth, of course, but he knew he had led the people to the edge of the shade only so he could enter himself. "I led them for my benefit," he admitted after a moment, the taste of honesty burning the inside of his mouth. "Tell me, what else can I do?"

The old man studied him for a moment. "The first shall be last. The last shall be first. That is the key."

Suddenly the man understood and he stepped aside for the old woman who had followed him from the desert. "You should go before me," he said, embarrassed at his own selfishness. The old woman smiled at him, gently stroked his cheek with her ancient, calloused hand, and then stepped easily into the shade of the great Oak. A second later, the second man did the same, but not before thanking the man for leading them. One by one each of the people took their turn stepping into the Oak tree's cooling shadow and finding respite beneath its mighty limbs, filling the shadow to overflowing with their presence. For a moment the man thought there might not be room enough for him beneath the tree, so great was the crowd beneath it, but as he watched he saw the shadow of the tree grow in size to encompass them. Finally, when the last of the people had entered, the man took a deep breath and stepped into the shadow of the great Oak himself.

To his great relief, this time it did not retreat from him, but covered him with its cool darkness, sending the dust and heat of the desert fleeing from its shadow, and for a long moment the man stood in the perfect coolness, taking it all in. Finally, once he felt himself refreshed and strengthened, he opened his eyes, searching for the old man that he might thank him. Remarkably, all the people were gone with the lone exception of the old man on the bench. He walked slowly towards him, curious as to what had happened.

"The multitude," he asked when he drew near, "where have they gone?"

"They found the relief they were looking for and moved on, just as you will once you are refreshed."

"I…I don't understand. Can you explain it to me?"

The old man took another sip of his water and patted the bench next to him, signaling the man to sit next to him. The man sat down on the cool bench and instantly found himself with his own glass of iced water in one hand. He drank from it greedily, letting the cool liquid rejuvenate every corner of his soul and burn out every last bit of the anger, fear and frustration that had been such a big part of him for most of his life. He also noticed that no matter how much he drank from the glass, it remained full. He took comfort in the fact.

"The answer you seek is simple," the old man said after a long moment. "As long as you lived within yourself, seeking only to fulfill your selfish desires and denying others, you had no place within the shade. Once you turned outwards, however, and selflessly gave of yourself to others, the shade was able to easily enfold you. It is the lesson you have been longing to learn all your life, but were never able to let yourself understand. Now you do."

With that the old man stood to his feet, sat his glass of water down, and began walking back towards the heat of the desert.

"But where are you going, old man?" he shouted after him. "Now that I understand, I have much to ask you. Please don't go!"

The old man stopped and looked back. "My work is done here and it is time I moved on," he said with a smile. "You were the one I have been waiting for, and now that you are here, I am free to explore other dimensions of myself."

The man stood to his feet. "But what will I do here? I'm all alone. And I still have so many questions!"

The old man nodded. "I know you do, but the answers are within if you search for them. And as for being alone, how is that possible? Is not the great Oak tree here to comfort you?"

With that the old man walked away until he was lost in the shimmering heat of the sun. The man slowly sat back down upon the bench, took another long draw off his drink, and pondered the meaning of the old man's words. As he did so, however, he spotted a figure on the horizon, moving determinedly towards him, his countenance stern and angry as he moved purposefully towards the shade of the great Oak. The man watched knowingly as the angry man stopped at the edge of the shade and tried to cross into its cooling shade, his anger growing more sharp and easily defined with each failed attempt to enter.

"Tell me, you in there, how is it I cannot enter into the shade of the tree? It withdraws from me each time I step towards it!" the man shouted.

He smiled as he took a sip of his water, sat it down next to him and looked up at the man. Finally he understood the meaning of the great Oak.

"It is easy to enter the shade, only you cannot enter alone," he answered the angry man.

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