Growing Together

Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

“What’s going on with the trees? It looks like there’s more than one plant growing on them?” the woman behind me on the tour bus asked.

Curious, I glanced over to the side of the Costa Rican road. Just as she said, there appeared to be entirely different species sprouting out of the vee created by the branches. Their unique shapes and contrasting colors set them apart from the tree.

“Trees in the rainforest can have many other species living on them,” the tour guide said. "Many plants, animals, and invertebrates call rainforests home, and they’ve adapted to living alongside one another." In Borneo, you can find one thousand different insect species on a single tree.^a One scientist found forty-three different types of ants on one tree in Peru.^b

Epiphytes are one type of plant that grows in the rainforest. They don’t require soil to grow, and they make their homes on trees or rocks. That was what the woman had seen as we drove along the winding roads.

I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer number of living creatures and plants around us and how they were able to work together. Epiphytes aren’t parasitic, our guide explained. They don’t steal nutrients. Instead, each species on the tree gets what it needs from its environment. That way, they all flourish.

As so often happens, the natural world mirrors the spiritual. Like plants in the rainforest, there are many different parts in the body of Christ. Each of us may have gifts such as teaching, encouraging, or praying for others, yet our individual actions support the body as a whole. Each person serves a singular purpose, and all of us contribute to the upbuilding of the community. Everything we accomplish can be used to glorify Jesus and pursue wholeness in him. That’s a good reason to be grateful.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Think of someone you work alongside. How do their unique abilities support you in your contributions to the body? Thank them for what they do.