Mae Runions

Tree of Life

Vancouver International Airport YVR, 1997

The Vancouver Airport Chaplaincy commissioned a hanging that would be suitable as they envisioned becoming known simply as The Sacred Space, a place for interfaith worship and connections. I worked on the designs with lead chaplain Rev. Dr. Frank McLeod. Funds were donated by the Airport Detachment RCMP on it’s closure at the airport, and by Mrs. Lois Horan.

The Tree of Life has long symbolized the center of the world or the Cosmic Center. This is an extremely ancient and universal idea amongst many cultures and religions. It is the center where the gods or God of religions first created humans and the world.

Some religious expressions:

In its centrality, the Tree of Life embodies unity and diversity; it unifies heaven, earth and the underworld with its branches, trunk and roots. It also carries symbols of growth, generation and regeneration. In the Christian and Jewish traditions, the Tree of Life stands at the center of the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time. From this, the Menorah is one derivative signifying God’s presence. In the Christian tradition it also stands at the center of the heavenly City of Jerusalem at the end of time. Interpreted as a cross, it gives cosmic significance to Christ’s sacrifice. The Buddhist legend tells how Buddha sat under the sacred banyan tree, the Cosmic Tree, while he was tempted and resisted through to enlightenment. The Muslim prayer rug for use four times a day, presents as sacred space the celestial gardens of Paradise, including a central Tree of Life.

Likewise, it was around a sacred tree or pole that North American Indigenous Peoples performed rituals as links to the sacred. These are only a few of the religious derivations from this important and universal symbol. We can each derive hope and vitality from meditation here.

The following quotation is from the Hebrew Scriptures: Proverbs 3:13, 18

“Happy is the one who finds Wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding......

She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold of her

those who hold her fast are called happy.”