"Reading the Redwoodsf: Safety in Numbers"

“Reading the Redwoods”

“Safety in Numbers”

 

As we ambled our way along the path shaded by our huge new friends we talked about how deep their roots must go into the soil for nutrients and stability. Much to our surprise, however, we soon learned that they were only three to five feet under the ground. How then can these behemoths withstand the storms which threaten their well-being? Well, unlike most types of trees, redwood roots intertwine beneath the surface and in this way hold each other up. Once we realized this we observed that the fallen ones (and there were a good number lying on the ground) were isolated from the others and thus had no support in the face of the natural elements when they came. This brought Solomon’s words to mind: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

The Apostle Paul wrote, “…In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5). The human body is but one picture Scripture uses to describe Christ’s Church as one unit made up of many parts (others include a flock, building, garden, and army). In each case the various segments have unique roles which make fulfilling its purpose possible. To quote Paul again, “From (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16).

As God’s people we need each other. The Book of Acts describes the progress of the church’s earliest days when in the face of threats the believers stuck together and refused to allow themselves to be divided. Coupled with the epistles, the phrases “one another” and “each other” are used more than 40 times in the New Testament to describe the relationships within Christ’s body. Would that today we might get back to those beginnings!

The Bible doesn’t teach independence of God’s people but rather interdependence. We need each other. To avoid the same fate as the lonely redwoods let’s keep those interconnections with our brothers and sisters strong.

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan