WE'RE IN THE CHRISTIAN Season of Creation which continues through September until the feast of Francis of Assisi on 4 October. In our part of the world it’s heralded by Matariki and continues through Spring — an intense time of new light and life.

The Tui Motu plum tree is our seasonal marker. It produced its first blossom in mid-August and is now in full flower. The tree, planted years ago in the backyard of the property, once produced buckets of plums for the families who lived here and despite the changes to its habitat has continued to fruit. The original back garden is now a carpark and as the plums ripen the birds and summer school students compete for them. That’s because we at Tui Motu are on holiday at harvest time — but we’ve had the odd year when the season was late and there has been enough fruit for jam when we’ve returned in January.

Year after year the plum tree has marked the seasons with blossom, leaves, fruit and dropping its leaves, outliving the human inhabitants of the property and faithfully being its authentic self. It hosts native mistletoe, tūī, kererū, sparrows and blackbirds, diverse insect and plant life and breathes and stirs the atmosphere and enriches the ground around it. Its upper branches have been shaped into a topknot by the prevailing wind. In turn it is protected by an old brick wall that it grows alongside.

It’s easy to value trees according to their usefulness to us — as shade, food, wood — and underestimate their contribution to the community of Earth. There’s a wholeness to God’s creating. We can understand why Jesus would say “I am the vine” when the vine, like our plum tree, lives doing exactly what it is created for — being a vine or plum tree in the mission of the Creator. And the seed falling into the ground trusts in the process of germinating to continue the cycle of life.

The Season of Creation can intensify our consciousness of the rest of creation and, as Neil Darragh discusses, of how we have sinned against other life. It gives us an opportunity to grow in appreciation of other lives in creation not just for the delight they give us but for themselves — creations of the Divine, benefactors of all that makes our human life possible and cohabitants of our common home, Earth.

Many of the contributors to this issue encourage us to live well in Earth through their reflection, writing, art and craft. We thank everyone, who in sharing their experience and skill, has provided thoughtful reading.

And as is our custom, our last word is of blessing and encouragement.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 285 September 2023: 2