Remember, remember ...

... the fifth of November; gunpowder treason and plot!”  I didn’t realise until quite recently that, until about 150 years ago, it was actual obligatory to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Day.  Under an act of Parliament, 5th November in each year was appointed as a day of thanksgiving for ‘the joyful day of deliverance’. The Act remained in force until 1859.  The other day, whilst walking along with my mind in idle, thoughts drifted from the beauty of the leaves on the trees, to the tidying away of fallen leaves, to other things that are characteristic of Autumn, to seasonal celebrations.

I recalled the time not too long past when children would gather the fallen leaves in barrows and pile them on a communal bonfire, along with all kinds of unwanted furniture, wooden pallets and the like, ready for a spectacular celebration with fireworks, burgers – the whole works!  They also used the barrows to parade their guys in the streets and ask for pennies.  Of course, pennies wouldn’t go very far today, and anyway, children seem to have other things to do with their time now.

Another seasonal occasion happens only days after bonfire night, when remembrance takes on a different hue, and many families will call to mind with varying degrees of sadness those relatives who served, and perhaps died, in war, particularly in the two World Wars of the last century.  I don’t know whether you will be watching the Service of Remembrance on TV, but if you do, you may notice a similarity between the falling poppy petals and the autumn leaves falling from the trees.

Trees and leaves have a significant place in our scriptures, beginning with the fig-leaves that Adam and Eve sewed together when they realised their nakedness (Gen. 3:7).   Other references range from the story of the plant that sheltered the unforgiving Jonah (Jonah 4:6) to the sycamore tree into which Zacchaeus climbed in order to see Jesus (Luke 19:4); from leaves that are an indicator of summer (Luke 21:30) to the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:2).  In all these, it is interesting to note that the point of the story is their usefulness to man, rather than their original purpose on the tree.  Sometimes they are useful while still growing: in other cases they fulfil that need once they have left or are taken from the tree.

Maybe this month you will be walking through the woods with a toddler, and find amusement as he delights in kicking his way through the fallen leaves.  Wherever we encounter falling leaves, and note their decaying mess on the pavements – which sometimes reflects a degree of mess in our lives – perhaps it is useful to consider the words of Henry Francis Lyte in his memorable hymn, “Change and decay in all around I see, but Thou who changest not, O Lord, abide with me!”