January 5, 2022

“When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy.” (Titus 3:4)

The Black Walnut is a beauty of a tree – distinctive bark, leaves turning to flaming yellow before losing them early in the fall, and the prolific green turning to brown nut. 

We decided to harvest the nuts from our Black Walnuts this year. It is quite an ordeal. Gather the nuts, break open the husk, fill up a tub and soak the nuts, discard all the ones that float, dry them for 6 weeks, borrow a black walnut cracker from a neighbor who happens to have a black walnut cracker, and finally crack the nut in just the right way to mine the treasure. Usually, the meat is broken into bits, so you have to pick out the shell shards before placing the meat in your tiny bowl. 

At least, after all that work, you have the sweet reward of the nut? Well, our children say the Eastern Black Walnut (as opposed the English Walnut you buy at the store, already hulled, shucked, de-shelled for you), tastes like nail polish. They are kind of right.

All this is to say that religion is the Black Walnut; lots and lots of work for not much reward. The Gospel is the English Walnut – so delicious and everything already done for you. What’s more, the stores give it away for free!!

“O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with