Like everyone else in America, I’m still swooning over Amanda Gorman’s performance of her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the Presidential Inauguration this week.
But a one line stood out to me above the rest:
Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.
If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.
The Biblical verse referenced comes from the Book of Micah. Remembered as one of George Washington’s favorites, it was prominently featured in the song, “One Last Time,” from Hamilton.
I spend a lot of time thinking about legacy, about the work I’m doing, and how I hope it will someday bear fruit. This idea of sitting beneath our own vines makes me hopeful that we do in fact reap what we sow.
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that there are no guarantees in life. Bad things happen to good people. Best laid plans get shot to hell. It’s easy to forget why we do the things we do.
But it’s also taught us the importance of sowing seeds, of leaving something that will outlast these troubled times and maybe even outlive us. Of course, there are no guarantees, but the best thing we can do each day is show up, water our vines, and allow them to grow.
joshua chamberlain 