Three Cedars – An Easter Tale
According to an old legend, three cedars grew long ago in the beautiful forests of Lebanon. As we all know, it takes many years for a cedar to grow into a huge tree. That is why these trees have been thinking about life, death, nature and people for centuries. These three cedars witnessed the arrival of an expedition from Israel sent by King Solomon, then saw the land flow in
blood during the battles with the Assyrians. They were able to meet Jezebel and the prophet Elijah, two mortal enemies. They saw how the alphabet was invented.
One day they decided to talk about the future.
* After all that I have witnessed, I would like to carve a throne out of me for the most powerful king on Earth – the first of the cedars dreamed.
* And I want to become a part of something that will change Evil into Good forever.
* As far as I am concerned, I would like them to look at God whenever they look at me, ” said the third cedar.
Many years passed until carpenters appeared. They cut down cedars and the ship took them far away. The first wood was used to build a shelter for animals, and the hay scaffold was broken from the remains. An ordinary table was carved from the second one, which went to the hands of a furniture dealer. There was no buyer for the wood of the third, so they were cut and placed in a warehouse in some big city.
The unfortunate trees complained: “Our wood was not good enough and no one found beauty in us to extract it.”
Time passed and one of the many starry nights, a couple who could not find a place to stay anywhere, took refuge in a stable built of wood of the first cedar. The woman screamed in pain until she gave birth to the child and laid them on hay placed on a wooden scaffolding.
Then the cedar realized that his dream had come true – it was the greatest of all kings on Earth.
Years passed, until one evening, in a modest home, men sat around a table carved from the second cedar wood. One of them, before everyone else started eating, spoke words about the bread and wine in front of him.
Then the second tree realized that at that moment it was not a cup of wine and a piece of bread resting on it, but a reconciliation of man with the Divine was taking place.
The next day, pieces of the third cedar were taken and compacted in the shape of a cross. They were abandoned somewhere, and a few hours later an inhumanly wounded man was brought and chained to his wood. A terrified tree wept over the barbaric fate that life had given him.
However, before three days passed, the third tree understood the meaning of its destiny – the crucified man became the Illuminating Light. The cross, made of wood of the third cedar, from the symbol of torture transformed into a symbol of victory.
As is usually the case with dreams, the dreams of three Lebanese cedars were fulfilled, but not as the trees themselves imagined.
Paulo Coelho