“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Ephesians 4:15-16

You know it’s a significant tree if it has a name. Not a scientific name or a common name for the species. But a proper name. For instance, the General Sherman is the largest tree, by volume, in the world. It resides in Sequoia National Park in California. It was named by a naturalist who served under the Civil War general. This living 2×4 is just a touch under 275 feet tall and just over 25 feet in diameter and weighs over 4 million pounds. Experts also believe the tree is over 2,300 years old.

That is a tree worthy of its own name. Something amazing about these sequoia giants is that, as tall as they are, their root systems are incredibly shallow. Most trees have roots that go really deep as well as out. Sequoia root systems only go between 6 and 12 feet deep, but they radiate out at great distances sometimes up to 300 feet out. In doing this they interweave and intertwine with the other roots of the other sequoia’s and other trees. This networking of roots is what allows these giants to scrape the sky without having roots that reach to the earth’s core.

How is your network within the body of Christ so connected that the wind and the waves of this life don’t topple you over?

Another tree, Pando, is the largest tree in the world. Not in volume, like Sherman, but in the space that it covers. Pando is an Aspen tree. Which, if you’ve seen a forest of Aspen trees you are not looking at a forest of trees. No, you are looking at one tree that has countless trunks arising out of the soil. Pando, which means ‘I spread’ in Latin, has an estimated 47,000 stems—what you and I might call ‘trunks.’ Each trunk comes from the same root system that duplicates and clones itself in each new spot. Pando, one such colony of Aspen, is in Utah, and it covers 106 acres of land—that’s larger than the smallest country in the world, Vatican City.

The power of Pando—and other Aspen colonies—is that its interconnectedness provides a mutual sharing in nutrients, hydration, and works together to produce new life. It’s one organism even though it looks like many different ones.

Such is the body of Christ. We are one body. We are interconnected. We are united. One of the realities of our shared life together in Christ is that it pushes against the ultra individualism of Western society. Even though we have it ingrained in our minds, the reality is you can’t do it yourself; You are made for community. That’s one of the beautiful truths of the Triune God—The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as a perfect community. The person of the Trinity embody interrelatedness. And you, dear child of God, are made in this same image. You are made for community.

Thanks be to God we have Jesus. He is the root system that holds us together. He is the head of the whole body. Hebrews tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But, He is Las the same in you, me, and your neighbor down the street. Jesus is our common purpose and Jesus is our common strength. He holds you and me together along with the rest of the whole church and He is the equipping one who ensures that needs are met, strengths are utilized, and growth continues forward.

To be sure, unlike Aspen stems, we are not clones. We are distinct and we are uniquely created with giftings, talents, and skills. You have things that this world needs—that your neighbor needs. The power is, it is Jesus who is at work within you. He is your strength and compass. He directs you while He directs, guides, and leads all the others who claim Him as Lord.

As you head into this week, take an inventory of your root system. Who and how are you connected with others? Are there places where you need to develop deeper connections? Are there areas that need to be pruned? And, perhaps most importantly, how is Jesus at the center of all these connections? What would it look like for you to lean deeper and more fully into Jesus within these connections?

In all of this, trust the Lord Jesus. He is in the midst of all of this, leading, healing, and growing us all for the sake of His kingdom.

Who are the people in your root system that help you remain intact when the winds of life assault you?