“And having no root in themselves they endure but for a time.  But when trouble comes they quickly fall away” – Jesus 

Scripture reminds us repeatedly and sternly that we are not to lose heart due to the troubling events in our lives, as they are not fully what they may seem;  whether the exodus from Egypt, the wanderings in the desert, entering into the promise land, choosing a king, maintaining the stability and integrity of the nation, or the beginning and flourishing of the Church.  There is a tension that runs throughout all of scripture: that of trusting in God to guide and sustain our lives or believing that the events in our world are as they seem, and we are left to our own devices to provide, protect, and care for ourselves.

Unfortunately, believing as if we are left to our own devices often brings with it feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression.  Feeling threatened and overwhelmed, we often dig-in to protect ourselves, and this often results in sin and conflict with others – who, by the way, are also struggling with the same things we are.   These poor responses often perpetuate a bad situation or even make things worse. It is no wonder that Jesus said that those with no root do not endure when trouble comes.

What is significant about the root that is so necessary for endurance?  First, a root acts as an anchor. One of its functions is to keep the plant in the ground, so when the storms and the winds blow, the plant can remain steadfast.  But the root is not an ordinary anchor; it is a living, active anchor. It feeds and sustains the body which stands above.

From whence does the root draw its nutrients to feed and sustain the body?  Perhaps the most interesting thing about the root is the place where it resides.  The root lives in the underworld, a world of darkness and decay. It is a shadowy realm of mystery, a place of obscurity where the eyes do not penetrate.  It is the very place where Jesus says elsewhere that the seed must die prior to obtaining a new life. It is this shadowy underworld that provides the elements of life.  It is not something that the plant can see, or even that it asks for. It is just provided to the plant.

This takes us directly into the realm of Providence, as the plant is being provided and cared for.  Nowhere is perhaps Providence so conspicuously demonstrated than in that region the world has so commonly referred to as Mother Earth.  Here, however, our attention is directed to the power that transcends, utilizes, and even coordinates the activities of this lower realm.  This dark, cool, and deathly region is the material our loving Father uses to bring about new life in us. As we transverse blindly through the valley of the shadow of death and can feel the encroaching dark forces of disorder and dismay, we can always hope for new life and mended souls.

Our lives are often immersed in events or circumstances that feel like that deathly region inhabited by the root.  These moments that flood our inner worlds with fear, hopelessness, hurt, and despair effectively cover our mind in darkness and leaves us turning in on ourselves.  The light of hope grows dimmer and dimmer. As we turn inward, we realize how vanquished we really are. So the emergency sets in, and all the emotions and actions associated with our emergency become manifest.  However, our very responses often short-circuit the work or development that the situation was called to provide for. Our work, our devices, often seem to deliver more decay and destruction. We should not ignore the fact that these events are used by our loving Father to bring about new beginnings and needed change within us.  Why worry and fret? We can only judge our present conditions, and even that we can only do partially. Beyond that, each moment we are in His hands.

New life comes from God.  The things around us are more or less mute idols; they have no real power.  They are usually things we cast all our cares on, and the things we have set our ambitious sights toward.  But they can more often be instruments of death, rather than aids for life. New life comes from the Spirit that hovers over His created world as He works to refresh and revive the hopeless state of the barren and destitute.  When events seem to press in and we feel overwhelmed, we can remember that these circumstances are not permanent. Since there is a creative God that goes before us, we can stretch our mind and hearts beyond what we can see. We need not judge our present condition as an eternal state of despair but as the source of nutrients out of which new life will spring. Green pastures, an image often used to evoke a sense of calm and rest, must first emerge through that wretched underworld of darkness and decay.  

Oh Lord, please help us to not get tangled and choked up in the cares of this world, but turn our hearts toward you that we may receive your words of life.  May You nurture and feed us as a tree planted by living water