Posted on 12/09/2010 4:17:16 PM PST by penelopesire
"Standing proudly on the side of an English hill, its religious roots go back 2,000 years. But a single night of vandalism has left an ancient site of pilgrimage in splinters. The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury has been chopped down in what is being seen by some as a deliberately anti-Christian act. A feature of the skyline surrounding the Somerset town, the tree has been visited by thousands retracing the steps said to have been taken by Joseph of Arimathea, who some say was Jesus’ great uncle.
Legend says it sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who helped Jesus of the cross. According to legend, Saint Joseph travelled to the spot after Christ was crucified, taking with him the Holy Grail of Arthurian folklore. He is said to have stuck his wooden staff – which had belonged to Jesus – into the ground on Wearyall Hill before he went to sleep. When he awoke it had sprouted into a thorn tree, which became a natural shrine for Christians across Europe. To add to its sacred status, the tree ‘miraculously’ flowered twice a year – once at Christmas and once at Easter. It survived for hundreds of years before it was chopped down by puritans in the Civil War, but secret cuttings of the original were taken and planted around the town. It is from one of the new plants that a replacement tree was planted in the original spot over 50 years ago.
Yesterday residents of Glastonbury wept as they surveyed the damage done to the tree on Wednesday night. Katherine Gorbing, curator of the town’s abbey, said: ‘The mindless vandals who have hacked down this tree have struck at the heart of Christianity."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The original Holy Thorn was a centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages but was chopped down during the English Civil War.[42] A replacement thorn was planted in the 20th century on Wearyall hill (originally in 1951 to mark the Festival of Britain; but the thorn had to be replanted the following year as the first attempt did not take).[43] Many other examples of the thorn grow throughout Glastonbury including those in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey, St Johns Church and Chalice Well.
It was on the other thread.
The article says it is 50 years old. Apparently after the first replacement one died.
Agreed, it was certainly a malicious act. Yet I question those who believe that a thorn tree is “holy.”
What other thread? Can you provide a link please?
The photo you copied from the Daily Mail had to be removed. All material from Daily Mail must be excerpted.
Also Getty Images has a copyright restriction imposed upon Free Republic which allows none of their photos to be posted on Free Republic.
Thank you.
I understand what you are saying, but I am sure it meant alot to the christians and catholics in the region. I have always wanted to tour all of the ancient cathedrals in England. I would say that it was indeed a bit ‘holy’, if it inspired people to walk the way of Christ. Just my two cents.
opps..so sorry about that. I should have checked first. Thanks for letting me know.
I posted another one at post 21 that should be removed too. Sorry for any trouble this caused you.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2640158/posts?q=1&;page=1
Oh and thanks for pointing out the tree was 50 years old. missed that the first time I read it.
Thank you for letting us know. :)
You are correct,I am sure. Nonetheless, if it takes a little shrubbery to inspire people to walk the way of Christ, I must again question their understanding of the walk.
Do not despair. Let them destroy all the holy sites they wish. Christendom cannot be destroyed by obliterating holy sites. The light of truth cannot be extinguished. Those that would keep us mired in darkness and superstition have no power over us.
Hey England! It’s time to start deporting all those muzzies!
A shrubbery!?
The nights who say “NI!” must be appeased.
It was for the greater good.
After all, they were on a quest for the Holy Grail.
Evidently, this tree (like its rootstock predecessors) does something unusual for a thorn tree - it blooms twice each year, around Christmas and again at Easter. Hence, the "holy" reference.
If people want to view it as a symbol of the enduring nature of Christianity, I'll not criticize them.
Well said. I was thinking something similar but you said it much better.
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