This post connects a 2026 discovery about faint electrical glows on trees during thunderstorms with my own Melbourne testimony, an original song, the flowers sent by my beloved Sunray, and the spiritual comfort I found in the faithfulness of God.
I came across a fascinating YouTube video about trees releasing a faint electrical glow called a corona discharge. The video explained how these discharges can produce hydroxyl radicals, which help remove pollutants from the atmosphere. The presenters described those radicals as nature's “laundry detergent,” and that expression immediately captured my attention.
The Hidden Glow Above the Trees
The research behind the video was published in 2026 in Geophysical Research Letters. Using ultraviolet-sensitive equipment, researchers directly observed corona discharges on a sweetgum tree and a loblolly pine during a thunderstorm in North Carolina. Similar activity was recorded during four other storms from Florida to Pennsylvania.
The new field study directly observed and measured the corona discharges. Earlier laboratory research showed that corona discharges can produce large amounts of hydroxyl radicals, the atmosphere's main oxidiser. The researchers therefore concluded that widespread tree coronae may affect forest air chemistry and the removal of hydrocarbons. My title is a devotional metaphor: the trees are not literally soap, but their electrical activity may help generate the chemistry that cleans the air around them.
Answers in Genesis Video
Watch the original Answers in Genesis video on YouTube.
I felt the lady presenter's excitement, and because of her enthusiasm I watched the entire video. I do not agree with everything discussed by this channel, but that is simply where our perspectives differ. As human beings from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, we will not always see every topic in exactly the same way.
Detailed overview from the supplied video transcript
- 0:00-7:51: The presenters explain the first direct field observations of faint ultraviolet corona discharges moving across tree leaves during thunderstorms. They discuss the possible production of hydroxyl radicals and the “nature's laundry detergent” comparison.
- 7:51-12:03: The program moves into the channel's commentary about climate, creation care and human stewardship. These reflections are the presenters' interpretation rather than conclusions of the scientific paper.
- 12:04-20:08: The presenters share other examples of how trees interact with weather, fungi, animals and people, emphasising their belief in the interconnectedness of God's creation.
- 20:13-24:48: They discuss a brief reference in the research paper to corona as one proposed natural explanation for the burning bush, then explain why they believe the biblical account in Exodus describes a supernatural event that cannot be reduced to a faint electrical glow.
- 24:48-25:08: The video closes by returning to the wonder of trees, the cleansing chemistry of the atmosphere and the wisdom the presenters see in creation.
This is a concise, edited overview rather than a word-for-word reproduction of the supplied transcript.
Two Trees, a Song and a Difficult Day in Melbourne
The topic of glowing trees reminded me of a song I created called Trees Around Me Whispers Loudly God's Bow in Heaven. The song was born during a very difficult time (From 11th February 2026), when I felt that God was showing me how the green of trees, grass, and so many plants reflected His bow in heaven.
My song, sung and recorded from the emotions I experienced in Melbourne.
I was sitting on my bed in Melbourne on the day my now ex-spouse was undergoing gender-affirming surgery. I was enduring the hardship of that day and facing the reality, consequences and path ahead for our marriage.
My room in Melbourne.
While sitting and looking out my window in deep sorrow, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper the secret of His trees: they were reflecting God's bow in heaven every day, all the time, because they could see what I could not - God's continual faithfulness, regardless of what was around them.
I recorded my singing, uploaded it to Suno and prompted it to reflect the emotional tone of my performance. The result kept the original emotion. I also noticed a personal pattern in the two tree-like pillars of the verses: Genesis 1:11 and Genesis 2:9, where the digits 2 and 9 add to 11.
Flowers, Friendship and My Beloved Sunray
One thing I did not mention in my song was how I pushed through this difficult season. I had a friend and prayer partner who stood by me. I now call him my beloved Sunray - also written as Sonray in parts of my testimony, meaning a brother sent by Jesus. Close to Valentine's Day, he sent me flowers as a surprise gift and a way of comforting me.
The following testimony gives readers a deeper glimpse of how I believe God moved in our lives and used this friendship, prayer and loving encouragement during that season.
My personal testimony about my beloved Sunray/Sonray and how I believe God moved in our lives.
Why I Call Trees the Detergents of the Earth
What is the purpose of this post, and how does it relate to trees being the “detergents” of the earth?
Just as the hidden electrical activity around trees may help generate atmospheric cleansing chemistry, I believe God was also cleaning and healing my life during the pain I experienced in Melbourne. I went to Him in sorrow. He not only touched the heart of my prayer partner to send me flowers, but also drew my attention to the green of the trees and what I understood as their faithful reflection of His emerald bow in heaven.
Scripture describes a rainbow around God's throne “in appearance like an emerald” in Revelation 4:3. My connection between the green leaves, God's bow and His faithfulness is a personal devotional insight. Since that day, I have never looked at trees in quite the same way.
In another personal connection, the tree of life points my thoughts toward Christ and the eternal life He gives. Scripture places the tree of life beside the river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb in Revelation 22:1-2. The Bible does not directly use “Tree of Life” as a title for Jesus, so I hold this as a devotional association rather than a direct biblical quotation.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
Creation, Light and the Numbers I Noticed
Genesis 1:11-19 places vegetation on the third day and the sun, moon and stars on the fourth. First Corinthians 15:4 says that Jesus rose on the third day. As a personal meditation, I see the trees as witnesses to God's sustaining light before the appointed lights in the sky, reminding me that creation contains realities we do not immediately see with our natural eyes.
I noticed Genesis 1:11 and Genesis 2:9, where 2 + 9 equals 11. I have also repeatedly associated the number 29 with hidden things being made known because of Deuteronomy 29:29. These are personal symbolic observations within my testimony. The verses themselves do not establish 11 or 29 as universal biblical codes.
I remember Chuck Missler teaching that the words and numbers of the Bible are deliberately placed and can reward careful study. That thought brings 2 Timothy 2:15 together with Proverbs 25:2 for me: study faithfully, search carefully and remain humble about what is Scripture and what is personal interpretation.
In my case, I was seeking God's comfort in one of my darkest hours. I received that comfort in a way that brought me into a deeper understanding of His faithfulness. The trees seemed to reflect His glory and bow faithfully each day. If they can continue to reflect what He created them to reflect, then I can also remain faithful by abiding in Christ, as Jesus teaches in John 15:4-5.
The cleansing chemistry around trees became a picture of the healing God was working in me. What looked like two ordinary trees outside a window became witnesses of His faithfulness, and what began in sorrow grew into a song, a testimony and a new way of seeing creation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a corona discharge on a tree?
It is a weak electrical discharge that can form at sharp leaf or needle tips when a strong thunderstorm electric field is overhead. The 2026 field study detected its faint ultraviolet glow with specialised equipment.
Do trees literally work like detergent?
No. “Detergent” is a metaphor. Corona discharges can produce hydroxyl radicals, which react with pollutants and hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. The phrase describes cleansing chemistry, not soap.
Does the Bible teach that 11 or 29 has one fixed meaning?
Not in the verses discussed here. My connections to Genesis 1:11, Genesis 2:9 and Deuteronomy 29:29 are personal symbolic reflections that form part of this testimony.
Sources and Media
Topics Covered: glowing trees, corona discharge, hydroxyl radicals, atmospheric cleansing, Answers in Genesis, Christian testimony, Melbourne, original Christian song, God's faithfulness, Sunray, symbolic numbers, creation and Scripture.