Strong Like A Tree

Strong like a Tree

Bible Blast: Read John 17:20-22

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. John 17:21

It can be difficult to get along with others, even if they’re Christians. Maybe in order to be more loving toward others, we need to be more tree-like. Let me show you what I mean.

There is a 107-acre patch of land in Utah that is covered in tree. That’s right. I mean “tree,” not “trees.” It looks like the area is full of thousands of white-trunked trees called quaking aspens. (That name comes from the fact that their leaves shake really easily in the breeze.) The interesting thing about this patch of trees is they are actually all connected to each other. Scientists have discovered that they all share the same root system, and all the trees are exact clones of each other. So instead of it being thousands of trees, it’s actually a colony of forty-seven thousand stems off the same root. They figure if you could weigh the whole thing, it would weigh more than six thousand tons. Some people call this colony of stems “Pando,” which means “I spread” in Latin.

How can Pando help us learn to love others?

John 15:5 describes Jesus as the vine, while we are the branches. Sounds a lot like a “root system,” doesn’t it? If he is the vine that all the branches are connected to, then we all have the same power source, and we’re all growing from the same place, right? When you meet someone who’s a Christian, it’s very important to remember that she is connected to the same Jesus you’re connected to. That doesn’t mean she’s perfect and you’ll be best friends forever, but it does mean that she is your sister in Christ. If you discover a new “holy sister,” then you have a responsibility to love her by treating her like you would want to be treated.

For Christians, being connected by the same “root” means you both serve the same God and he loves you both the same. If Jesus loves somebody and Jesus lives inside of you, then you have the ability to love that person too.

Girl Gab: Is there a Christian person you know who’s very difficult for you to get along with? How can you show love to that person? Ask your mom what she does when she wants to love someone she doesn’t like very much.