Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.
Theodore Roethke
Theodore Roethke
I’ve been thinking about trees today – thanks to another Karl Martin sermon.
The analogy that I want to think about a wee bit more is … the part of the tree above the ground is what we see. (Don’t spend too much time dwelling on this startling insight!) It’s the bit which – amongst other things - tells us about the growth of the tree and about its fruit. This is often how we measure ourselves - height, girth, fruitfulness...
On the other hand the roots are largely unseen, but provide the nutrition, strength and stability for the tree. Is this what we really need to examine? What kind of qualities are in our root system? Integrity, faithfulness, commitment, resolve...
I’m not a botanist – but I know that there’s something wrong with the plum tree in my garden. It’s got plenty of fruit on it (for its age), but it’s clearly not healthy. Could the problem be in the roots?
The analogy that I want to think about a wee bit more is … the part of the tree above the ground is what we see. (Don’t spend too much time dwelling on this startling insight!) It’s the bit which – amongst other things - tells us about the growth of the tree and about its fruit. This is often how we measure ourselves - height, girth, fruitfulness...
On the other hand the roots are largely unseen, but provide the nutrition, strength and stability for the tree. Is this what we really need to examine? What kind of qualities are in our root system? Integrity, faithfulness, commitment, resolve...
I’m not a botanist – but I know that there’s something wrong with the plum tree in my garden. It’s got plenty of fruit on it (for its age), but it’s clearly not healthy. Could the problem be in the roots?
Does this apply to us as individuals, collectively as churches and society?
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