Sugar Bush

It is early spring and with evening temperatures still dipping blow freezing while the days creep above the freezing mark the conditions are perfect for the sap to flow in the maple trees. That can mean only one thing...maple syrup time! It is a family tradition (and for many it is an annual school field trip) to head out to the sugar bush, where we learn about how maple syrup and maple sugar are made. It is a very old process discovered by First Nations peoples, taught to European pioneers which has continued to develop into a modern technological process. At the heart of it however, is one simple basic process. Whether using hot rocks from a fire as the indians once practiced, metal cauldrons as the pioneers introduced, or today’s modern technology the process is the same. Sap is collected from a tree and boiled down. As the sap is boiled down, a higher concentration of maple sugar is left, becoming what we know as maple syrup. If the process continues eventually all that is left is pure maple sugar. The idea of boiling it down had me thinking about the Christian life, and if it might be boiled down. It is not the first time I have mentioned this passage, but if what Jesus says about these themes is correct, then it is worth mentioning again!
When asked about what was the most important commandment, Jesus’ response was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40) Loving God and Loving our neighbour are at the root of everything else, the rest all stems from these commandments. Loving God and Loving our neighbour is what it all boils down to.