Intertwined

My sister took the photo above during a recent hike with my brother in law and my nephew. Then she promptly did what we all do...she posted the photo on social media. I don't say that to give her a hard time, I'm glad she did. There was something really special about the picture. I found myself starring at the image on the screen, and I couldn't bring myself to click on the next photo in the online album. I honestly found the photo amazing. The roots, though covered in mud, are beautifully intertwined together. Just another example of God's complex masterpiece all around us.

It's nearly impossible to look at the photo and distinguish and determine where one tree begins and another tree ends. Over the course of time, the various tree roots have stretched out and connected themselves, becoming one. Trees don't intentionally connect themselves though, right? Trees certainly don't "communicate" with each other, right?  Well...there is ongoing research that suggests otherwise, and scientists who would say, that's exactly what trees are doing.

While completing research for her doctoral thesis, a lady by the name of Suzanne Simard, discovered that trees do in fact "communicate" and send nutrients via a network of fungi/roots buried in the soil. She determined that trees do "talk" to each other. Simard is now at the University of British Colombia, and she is pioneering research on how trees converse and how this "wood-wide web" as its come to be known, allows trees to signal each other about environmental changes, and even transfer nutrients to neighboring plants before they die. Don't believe me, use your Google box and read about this for yourself. BBC, Smithsonian, and The New Yorker have all dedicated articles to this discovery/research.Whether you fancy yourself an outdoors person or not, it's pretty fascinating stuff, huh?

By design, these detailed and sophisticated root systems have connected trees. Whether that connection is as visible as it is in the above photo, or if the roots are buried under the ground, we are learning that trees in the forest aren't standing alone and disconnected. By design, we as people are connected as well. Just like the network of the "wood wide web" we likely won't fully know or truly appreciate how connected we really are in this lifetime. Even without full knowledge of God's complex masterpiece, we can still appreciate the fact that we are meant to be connected, can't we?

The bible is filled with passages about "roots." Roots are used to describe lineage, trees, and also our faith. I love the phrase "the stronger the root, the stronger the fruit." In Colossians 2:7 we read "Plant your roots in Christ and let Him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful."

If you fully buy into the studies and the research, then you would agree that trees are getting it right. Trees are connected. Trees are feeding each other. Trees sense the needs of other trees. Trees are communicating. So, my question to you is this, what is stopping us? Why aren't we all connecting? Why do people go hungry? Why do we turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the needs of others? Why do people stand side by side in silence, disconnected, without speaking, only starring blankly at electronic devices?

There's a passage in the bible I love, that reminds us not to worry. We are reminded to look at the carefree birds and ask ourselves, why they don't seem worried, and does God not loves us more than birds? Of course He does. The take away is that we should stop worrying. Similarly, I'm telling you with confidence, we are more important to God than trees as well. So, let's communicate. Let's reach out and connect. It's time we become intertwined.

Much Love, Adam