Introduction

"I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive" (Isa 41:19). This book explores pathways to renewal through the powerful metaphor of reforesting the desert places.

The soul can sometimes be an arid, thirsty, desiccated place, becoming as exhausted and denuded as land that has been ravaged and stripped of its trees. God's promise is to reforest the wilderness and renew our fruitfulness.

This book is a guided retreat, simultaneously enabling attentiveness to the soul while resonating with urgent ecological concerns. The rich symbolism of different trees both in the Bible and in the Christian tradition, including hymnody and poetry, leads us into meditation, reflection, and action.

As land that is reforested holds the promise of new beginnings, so this book heartens us with pointers towards spiritual rejuvenation.