The olive tree stands for endurance, and this isn’t a legend but rather an essential truth of this blessed tree..

Some time ago, I found myself wondering where the oldest olive tree in the world might be, how long it had lived, and whether it would still be producing fruit. I found out that its roots lie in a small village between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, in what is today known as the occupied Palestinian territories.

This ancient, thousands-of-years-old living being even has a name, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture, it is now more than 4,000 years old. It’s called Al Badawi, which when translated would be the Bedouin, the desert dweller, or what we might call today the one from the countryside. And yes, year upon year it is still bearing olives.

The olive tree is also the ultimate symbol of Peace, and we all well aware of the fact that a universal symbol is not born overnight. It appears in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, in the Bible, in liturgical traditions, in the Qur’an, and today is the emblem of the United Nations.

Years ago, I hung a small olive branch in a family home with a little sign that read an olive branch brings peace…

Much later, I was surprised to find it still in the same place. I wondered how many times it had been taken down for cleaning, and yet no one had dared throw it away. It had become completely dried, while maintaining its shape, and the words were still legible in spite of the faded ink. 

It was as if it had earned its place in that room, and turned into something sacred due to its symbolic value…

Because, you know, peace is something we all long to attain, and the tree symbolizes the path we walk towards it from the moment we are born: not only as individuals but as humanity as a whole.

We need stories that help us to see both who we have been and who we can become, based on our shared humanity and inherent dignity. I dream of the day when no one will dare to steal peace from any of Earth’s peoples..

As long as a single olive tree remains alive, there will be hope for World Peace.

Elena Vecino (founder of La Cultivada). Cultivate yourself here at our blog