Paradise Regained

The apple tree has been a symbol in myths, literature, and spiritual lore from the earliest times. When I was a child, my father grew fruit trees, and each year, in season, he took plums and apples into town to sell at the grocery store. We would dance around the orchard ‘helping’, putting the apples in the enormous wicker basket. My mother also made preserves, jam and jelly, and we had stewed apples we could enjoy throughout the year.

"The Apple of the Eye”: Protection, Innocence, and Sweetness

The apple tree’s fruit is perhaps best known for its role in the biblical story of Eden. It symbolized the desire for knowledge and the resulting temptation by the serpent, marking the fall of man through Adam’s disobedience. In this act of disobedience, where man was banished from Paradise, seeds were also sown for a story of redemption and renewal.

 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Gen 3:15 (this is taken as a reference to Christ crushing Satan, the tempter).” The Psalmist asked God to, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,” Psalm 17:18, and the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 7:2, “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.”

The apple of one’s eye is something precious, cherished, and guarded. Something to value and protect, that spiritual knowledge we have been entrusted with. This image conveys not only protection but a childlike wonder at the things we value most. In Eden, it was the apple, that became the gateway to knowledge and losing innocence. What modern gateways are there now that tempt you to lose your joy and innocence?

The Church Bell Tower: Celebrating Life’s Milestones

When I was learning Dutch, I learned the apple core was called a ’klokhuis,’ roughly translated as ‘church bell tower,’ this fascinating term ties the apple to milestones like weddings, births, and funerals, marking the continuum of life, transitions, and the passage of time. It also holds seeds for the next generation of apple trees. The cycle of an apple tree mirrors the journey of humanity. In spring, it erupts in fresh blossoms, bringing to mind themes of birth, purity, beauty, and new beginnings. There was a small orchard in Bedford at the place where I worked for some years, which was a delight to my senses each spring. Bluebells danced beneath the pale pink blooms. I could gaze at them for hours as they were so beautiful. These blooms turned into ripe, sweet fruits in autumn. The cook made the most delicious apple crumble with them to celebrate the Harvest festival, symbolizing the joys and blessings of life and the hope for prosperity. Once the fruit is harvested, the tree reminds us of the season’s cycle — the inevitable “fall” — that gives way, eventually, to dormancy and the promise of regeneration.

Christ the Second Adam: The Apple Tree and Redemption

The apple tree is also linked to themes of Christ as the “Second Adam.” In Christian symbolism, where Adam’s act of disobedience led to the fall of humanity, Christ’s coming is seen as the bridge back to Paradise — a “paradise regained.” The Christmas carol “Christ the Apple Tree” sings of this theme, evoking the image of Christ as a tree of life, a source of sustenance and eternal joy. This connection between Christ and the apple tree draws upon the idea that while humanity fell by searching for knowledge, it also holds hope for redemption and ultimate restoration through Christ. With Thanksgiving, and the Christmas season just around the corner, let your slice of apple pie remind you of faith, Paradise regained and renewal. Just as the apple tree blossoms anew in every annual cycle of spring. For those entering their last winter of life on this earth, thoughts of Paradise — that untouched realm of beauty and innocence — can serve as rejuvenating visions of hope and joy for eternal bliss.

The apple tree, in all its unsophistication, invites us to see the world with childlike eyes of wonder, wisdom, and hope for the future. With each season, it renews itself, reminding us that beauty and truth lie in the rhythms of nature and creation. We can look forward with hope to a future with new beginnings, whether here or in heaven where we live as the Redeemed. As with each tree I have written about, to cultivate in your inner garden, I think the apple tree is one of the most joyful. How can we cultivate more joy in our inner gardens?

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