SECRET OF THE REDWOODS

Thirty minutes from our home stands Armstrong Grove, a 240-acre, old-growth redwood preserve. For movie buffs, it's the setting for the Star Wars flick, Return of the Jedi, where Ewoks lived and buzzed among the giant redwoods.  Visiting this site is always peaceful and awe-inspiring. Strolling beneath trees, standing over 300 feet tall, more than 1400 years old, fills your heart with a sense of the majesty of God. 

But perhaps the most fascinating phenomenon about redwoods is what you can't see: their roots. Surprisingly, in a redwood forest, the root system is quite shallow, spreading out in every direction, enabling the trees to obtain adequate water. Over time, their roots intertwine, providing much greater stability. If one tree is weak, the others are able to support it. In a sense, the entire forest is linked together as one giant organic infrastructure. They are intertwined, yet never lose their individuality. As their roots connect, a fungus develops in the soil between them that reduces their competition for life. Scientists have discovered that these trees are even able to "communicate" on some level. Quite literally, they need each other to survive. 

God designed us to function much like redwoods. John Donne penned the famous line, "No man is an island." Throughout scripture, we see God's people operating in community. In the Old Testament, it was in a tribal setting. The New Testament describes God's community as his "church" (Matt.16:18), family (I Tim.3:15) and body (I Co.12:12). All of these images offer a picture of community. While our culture may view the church as irrelevant, it is critical for our lives today. We desperately need to belong to a community, a tribe, a spiritual family. We live in times of relational famine, and the church is God's solution to a plethora of social problems created by loneliness and isolation. 

Armstrong Grove stands as a giant picture of how God intends his children to function. We exist as one body, without losing our individuality. Like the giant redwoods, we need each other to survive. As we interconnect, we share love, hope and joy.  When a storm rages in one of our lives, we're connected to others who support us. Just as these huge trees share water, sunlight and nutrients with each other, we share the life of Jesus together. It really works.