As winter loosens its grip, the first signs of spring remind us that sweetness often follows hardship.

Today, Canada exports nearly $700 million worth of maple syrup annually. But long before it was a global commodity, Indigenous communities were tapping maple trees and boiling sap into syrup, candies, and sugar—a sacred tradition practiced for centuries.

The flowing sap of late winter signaled renewal after harsh seasons. Ceremonies with prayer, dance, and gratitude honored the Creator’s provision.

Israel saw the contributions of trees as the music of God’s love and care for them: 

Isaiah 55:12
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

But Residential Schools tried to sever that connection. Children were taken, stripped of language, land, and culture. Many returned to communities where they no longer felt they belonged—some lost their way completely.

And yet, some found their way back. To culture. To ceremony. To sobriety. To the land. And to joy. That first taste of healing is like warm maple syrup after a bitter winter. God tells us in the New Earth, “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2b).” Maple trees do their part to bring healing smiles to this earth in the meantime.
This is the kind of healing your gift supports.

This September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We're raising $10,000 for Indigenous-led On-the-Land Learning programs—spaces where survivors, allies and the next generation reconnect with land, story, and ceremony.

If this vision moves you, we invite you to give. Your generosity helps healing flow—like sap from the tree, like grace after winter.

Adrian Jacobs
Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation
Christian Reformed Church in North America