|
The Vine, newly washed, shimmered in the sunlight. For the first time, being somewhat bigger now, Tovina saw the trellis upon which it leaned, a thing of intricate design but only so as to complement the beauty of the Vine itself. Small wonder that when the Husbandman looked upon his Vine with all its branches, his eyes lit up and his song wafted far.
"Oh, noble Vine, you have taken deep root, you have filled the land. The hills are covered with your shadow, and your boughs are like the good looking cedars. You have sent out your boughs to the
sea, and your branches to the river. The sparrows therein make their nests, and the doves beneath find their hiding. I return, I look down from heaven, and behold, I visit this Vine.
"Oh, all the vast creation, say to this Vine, Come and reign over us. All pleasant beings, look TO THE VINE."
All the while of that joyous song, the Husbandman caressed the object of his supreme regard, placing a tendril here, plucking a leaf there, and even severing some tendrils that were attached and pulling to the ground.
The Vine seemed immensely pleased with his attentions and thrived under his care, saying, "The trellis, the training, and the light in his eyes, all these say this:
The Vine can do nothing of itself,
But whatever things the Husbandman does,
In all, he controls the Vine."
At this point, Tovina felt birthed within her the most overpowering desire for complete control by the Husbandman, to see the light fill his eyes and to respond with love returned.
"A Song of My Well-Beloved Touching His Vineyard" (Isaiah 5:1). To the Vine, Tovina: A Story that Is an Allegory of One Young Adult's Spiritual and Faith Crises
|
