Keeping Watch August 8, 2022 Issue

A lesson from the tala

Just as the rocky ground cannot stop the growth of the tala, no earthly condition can prevent us from finding our God-given freedom.

Mari G. de Milone

Originally published in Spanish for the June 1, 2022 issue of The Herald of Christian Science.

The tala is a deciduous tree that is part of the native flora of my country, Uruguay. We find it in all types of soils, but mostly in rocky terrain. There it sprouts and grows in conditions that would be almost impossible for other types of trees. The tala is able to adapt to the most unforgiving environments; although it takes some time, the tala’s small shoots break through even the hardest rocks in their eagerness to reach the sunlight.

The tala’s resistance to being overcome by the aridity and harshness of its surroundings, and its ability to thrive in spite of such surroundings, give me something to think about. Like the tala, we can sometimes find ourselves in difficult environments—oppressed by inhumane conditions, beaten down by fear, sickness, resentment, or the past. We may even find ourselves walking through life burdened by such limiting conditions, none of which come from God.

Spiritual man and woman, being the reflection of God, are free to express the glory of their creator.