Rotting from the Inside Out

I don't know how long big tree has stood in front of the "little church with a big mission." It had grown huge, with a trunk diameter close to 5 or 6 feet. On the day I returned from Charlottesville VA, it collapsed. A quick acting elder arranged for the huge pile of debris to be cut up and removed. The fallen trunk exposed the open decaying center. It was obvious that the trunk had rotted on the inside and couldn't any longer hold the weight of branches. Over the past nine or ten years, large limbs had been trimmed to reduce the weight of the canopy and prevent them from falling on people or property. That proved too little too late. What prophet or pastor could overlook the spiritual metaphors! A hollowed out core of any organism cannot withstand violence.
In Charlottesville I met with pastors who had had their own moral core tested by the white supremicists and neo-nazi groups assembled in that town to instill fear. The clergy, clearly calling upon their moral cores (and corps!) of faith, stood up to the threats, but they were shaken. Confronting violence with peace and resilience was what they had trained for. Many didn't realize the toll it would take on them, including the tragedy of three deaths. The communities of faith in Charlottesville hold together so far, but the events of last weekend will not be easily forgotten, nor should they be.
Many in the church continue to struggle with the legacy of racism that we all inherit and that still benefits our European-descended churches. If we don't confront our own inner spiritual rot it's only a matter of time before the arc of justice bends to cut us down. Will we learn from the tree?