- Feb 5, 2002
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Near the banks of the Nile River, there is a laurel tree whose branches hang down before turning back up again. A canopy of leaves gives the tree the image of a tall man bowing with a flourish towards the ground. Hidden beneath its peculiar natural form, this laurel tree holds a special secret.
Coptic Christian traditions say that as the Holy Family journeyed through Egypt, they traveled beyond Cairo and took a path along the Nile. Along this path stood the famed laurel tree. At the passing of the Divine Child and his parents, the tree bowed in adoration to its creator. The tree affectionately earned the nickname “Al-Abed,” meaning “the Worshipper.”
“Nature therefore becomes a Gospel that speaks to us of God,” says St. John Paul II. The beauty and complexity of nature give pause, evoking thoughts of a powerful Creator. But some members of the natural world go one step further and bear a more literal witness to the Divine work of God.
This laurel tree is no exception. The story of the bowing tree is enough to arouse curiosity. However, considering the laurel tree’s cultural and historical impact, it is clear that the tree’s act of adoration carries deeper significance.
Continued below.
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Coptic Christian traditions say that as the Holy Family journeyed through Egypt, they traveled beyond Cairo and took a path along the Nile. Along this path stood the famed laurel tree. At the passing of the Divine Child and his parents, the tree bowed in adoration to its creator. The tree affectionately earned the nickname “Al-Abed,” meaning “the Worshipper.”
“Nature therefore becomes a Gospel that speaks to us of God,” says St. John Paul II. The beauty and complexity of nature give pause, evoking thoughts of a powerful Creator. But some members of the natural world go one step further and bear a more literal witness to the Divine work of God.
This laurel tree is no exception. The story of the bowing tree is enough to arouse curiosity. However, considering the laurel tree’s cultural and historical impact, it is clear that the tree’s act of adoration carries deeper significance.
A pagan symbol of victory and honor
Continued below.
A strange thing happened when the Holy Family passed by this tree
Coptic Christian traditions say that as the Holy Family journeyed through Egypt, they passed a laurel tree that still exists today. At the passing of the Divine Child and his parents, the tree bowed in adoration to its creator. Allison Barrick explores how this story gives new, Christian life to...
www.oursundayvisitor.com
