18 Jun
Deep Roots
One of our favorite places to go with the boys and picnic or kick around the soccer ball is Bowman Field, the large green space where Clemson’s “town and gown” (university and city) intersect. On the edge of Bowman Field stands the grandest tree I have ever seen. Stories high, the oak’s hefty, ancient, branches extend like long, gnarled fingers reaching for air. And then, end-heavy, the branches bend toward the ground, fingers curling to scratch the dirt. When you walk underneath the drooping branches, a vast canopy awaits (hundreds of feet in diameter) forming a shaded, cool, dreamy-like oasis of quiet beauty.
I can only imagine how this mammoth tree stretches beneath the soil. How wide and deep must the root system extend? This tree has withstood many storms, many fierce winds, many boys (yes, like my own) climbing and jumping and inflicting havoc. Still, there it stands. Unshaken. Anchored to the earth. A fixture of strength and grace and vigor.
With this picture in mind, I read Paul’s words to the church in Colossae with fresh imagination: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…” (Col. 2:6-7) Further, Paul said, the life that anchors itself in the reality of Jesus Christ (crucified, risen and reigning now as Lord over all) possesses the same deep-rooted reality as Clemson’s grand oak: firm and strong (Col. 2:5,7).
This is no easy work, though, is it? It is immensely difficult to stay rooted in Christ when there are so many other powers and passions and interests and worldviews that pull at us to plug into their soil. It requires much tenacity to dig deep into Jesus when sin or fear or weariness or loneliness tempt us to believe that other soil would offer us something better.
But why, I wonder, do we find this task so hard? Does an apple tree sweat to keep from pulling it’s roots up and hopping over to another orchard? The azalea bushes in my front yard don’t constantly wrangle back and forth (at least so far as I’ve seen) about whether they prefer my yard or the neighbor’s. The ground from which they pull their nutrients is where they belong. This soil (and only this soil) fits who they are.
I think Paul would remind us of similar truths. Jesus, if we have been joined with him in his crucifixion and resurrection, is our true identity (2:6,11-12). The Kingdom of God is our true realm, our true soil. Our task is not to grit our teeth and hang tight to Jesus. Our place is simply to stay home, where life and hope pour freely from Jesus into us.
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Filed in: Journey, Purpose, Rest
About the Author
Winn is a pastor and the author of Restless Faith, Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of Francois Fenelon and the upcoming Holy Curiosity: Facing Jesus’ Provocative Questions. Winn enjoys the music of Amos Lee and Josh Rouse, the literary work of Eugene Peterson and John Steinbeck, hiking, and independent coffee shops serving fair-trade roasts. Winn’s greatest joy, however, is good conversations with his wife Miska and wrestling with their two boys Wyatt and Seth. You can connect with Winn online at winncollier.com.
