I hope they saved the Banyan tree.  The one that sits in the park in Lahaina.  The magnificent old tree has seen life on the island radically change from the time of missionaries to the throngs of tourists and now wildfires.  It was planted in 1873 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the first protestant mission trip to Maui.

I hope they saved the Banyan tree to bear witness to the dangers so many dismissed as hoax, as liberal extremism, as anti-fossil fuels.  The yammering of conspiracy belief.

It is the biggest banyan tree in Hawaii and covers 1.94 acres of what used to be the courthouse square and is now simply known as Banyan Park.  The tree is magnificent.  The sixteen main trunks and lower branches sport twinkle lights upon occasion.  It turned 150 years old this past April.

Wildfire is raging on Maui.  On small islands, there is no place to evacuate to.

Maui burns.

I took photo after photo of the tree.  I couldn’t get enough distance between the camera and the tree to capture its entirety.  It’s as big as the egos that got us into this mess, but sweet of spirit and existing to provide pleasure and shade.

In the quiet of my early morning, I can reflect on my visit to the tree.  It does seem like holy ground there.  The tree is imposing.

Was.  Is? 

I hope they saved the banyan tree.

It is a bonfire of the vanities.  The burning of that which provokes sin.  It is the burning of Lahaina.  The burning of our sins.   The fire itself, though, is the sin.  Not what it consumes.  Lahaina was peace and laughter. A giant banyan offering shade.

What do we call that? 

Global warming, climate change.

The people are standing in the ocean to escape the wrath.

The water is warming.