This is possibly the saddest thing I have heard in a while.
In Nevada, in 1964, a graduate student named Don Currey went out into a forest of bristlecone pines to do some research on climate change. He found some super old trees and tried to drill into the core of one (to take a core sample), but it began to be more difficult and finally the drill broke. The forest service came in and cut down the tree (which was called the Prometheus Tree) for him so that he could study the tree rings. He took some slabs back to his lab and started counting the rings.
He eventually made it to 4844 rings, making the tree 4844 years old. The oldest tree. The oldest continuously living organism on the planet. And it was killed in 1964.
I heard about this on a podcast last weekend and was really struck with how sad it is. I realize it was an accident and they would have never done it if they had known, so I am not upset, but it is still sad.
If you want to hear the whole story:
http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2010/06/28/oops/ - about 15 minutes in
So...
"...What do you do? You laugh. I'm not saying I don't cry but in between I laugh and I realize how silly it is to take anything too seriously. Plus, I look forward to a good cry. It feels pretty good."
-Sam (played by Natalie Portman, Garden State)
Maybe we can cry or laugh and breath a little more life for the other trees around us. Or just enjoy the countless other trees brought to life through the seeds of that tree.
Nothing lasts forever, except God. Maybe this provides a good place to really think about that.
1 Timothy 6:13-16
In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in this own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
"...What do you do? You laugh. I'm not saying I don't cry but in between I laugh and I realize how silly it is to take anything too seriously. Plus, I look forward to a good cry. It feels pretty good."
-Sam (played by Natalie Portman, Garden State)
Maybe we can cry or laugh and breath a little more life for the other trees around us. Or just enjoy the countless other trees brought to life through the seeds of that tree.
Nothing lasts forever, except God. Maybe this provides a good place to really think about that.
1 Timothy 6:13-16
In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in this own time - God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
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