Saplings, Apple Trees, and the End of the World What an apple tree and a sapling can teach us about hope

This is one of my favorite quotations:

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

Credit: Unknown (Frequently falsely attributed to Martin Luther)

It’s often linked to Martin Luther, though there’s no evidence he actually said it. Still, the message holds: act with purpose even when the future looks bleak.

It was recently featured as a quote of the day, and one of my readers, John Erwin, pointed out that an older version is also found in the Islamic tradition. A hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad says:

“If the Final Hour comes while you have a sapling in your hand, and you can plant it before it comes, then plant it.”

Both sayings, from very different places and eras, share one clear principle:

There is dignity in doing something small and constructive, even when everything is falling apart.

Of course, the sapling will not take root. There will be no tomorrow. And yet we plant.