Giants

After the small family took their photos and walked on, the thousand-year old debate between the two giants continued, not an inch closer. 

"Fine.Then, tell me-- who made you? Who made me? Who made all these others? You think it's more like what made everything, not Who? Or, no one created all of existence, it was already so?"

"Not exactly, but cleverly phrased, my believing friend. What is more tree than the idea of God? Most trees want and need a kind, loving parent. There is comfort and security in assuming we're not in charge. The idea of God is the answer to existential loneliness, and the mysterious experience of death. Once God was believed to exist, trees could relax a little bit. We're just the children, after all, under God's care and control, except we still have free will? More than confusing, it's clearly an irrational, contradictory deal. All-knowing God would also already know our free will, yes? No. But, no one is entirely sure, or can explain away the conflict.

If God is real and all-powerful, could we not have paradise in an instant, and also forever? All tree suffering gone in a blink. All fear, pain, and death absent from the tree experience? Instead, God gives us all this multi-millennium drama of evil, anguish, and ultimate salvation?

Why would God who you say made the Universe play with us like that?

Consider this: the word soul-- or, at least the Hebrew and later Greek versions of the term-- is used in the Old and New Testament many hundreds of times, Yet, one still has to assume the soul's existence, since it is never referenced anywhere that God gave us trees an immortal soul. 

Belief is everything for a reason. None know the truth. All remain hopeful, believing their path is the right direction, the Way. It's most likely that everyone is wrong!

There are three treeological assumptions: we are trees infused with the breath of souls; we are each an immortal soul that occupies for a time a tree vessel; or, that we are first made trees, then become souls for eternity. Or, none of these are true at all! I'll take the last statement. All is uncertainty for us trees, okay?"

"Your doubts haven't changed your branches. You're right, unlike you I'm a tree that believes, it's why I reach to the heavens; you don't have to go! What would I do if not believe? Grow, but remain a tall shadow? Believing is wanting more, not reach a glorious sky, then die."

"It's okay, whatever we think is true is fine. It won't matter! My believing friend, when we trees die one day, we simply end. There won't be trees remaining to tally who was right or wrong. We're gone. No heaven, soul, spirit, all of that, tree nostalgia! Might as well choose your favorite fairy tale now, because what we believe or reject- won't matter to a wind blowing blind. All tree kind are rooted in myth!" 

The two giants grew silent again, as another family passed.