“Keep your roots deep in Christ, trust Him, and become stronger in your faith.” ~ Colossians 2:6-7
When Joel moved to Rancho Mirage, he
was horrified at the ugly trees lining the streets. They were creepy looking. Their gnarled trunks looked cadaverous;
perhaps centuries old.
“How could it be?” he wondered, “that despite the persistently
long and rain-free months, these trees managed to thrive?” It would take some discovery to learn her
secrets.
The olive tree is mentioned more than 30 times in both the
Old and New Testaments. It starts
bearing fruit at around five years of age. A Croatian tree has been carbon-dated to
around 400 A.D. and still produces abundant fruit today.
Olive trees can grow in almost any soil. They have deep roots that tap the
water which runs far beneath the soil. Its leaves also draw in and retain the
moisture of the early morning dew. That
small daily moisture is essential for the nurturing and growth of the olives.
These two factors help create a tree that can produce fruit
in the blistering summer heat, and give abundantly at harvest time in autumn
when all else seems barren. Her endurance
brought to mind a passage from Paul’s letter to the Colossians (above).
The world is often a difficult and challenging place. Yet, we’re called to be just like the olive
tree, to let our roots reach down, to deepen our relationship with God and humanity
so that we can receive life-sustaining nourishment and reassurance.
And just as the olive tree gratefully receives the early
morning dew, we too need to be aware of the gifts of grace that God provides to
strengthen us - whether that gift lies in a friendly smile, a kind word, the
advice of a caring friend, the unquestioning hospitality of a stranger or even
aid from an ‘enemy’ at a moment of personal peril.
Daily newspapers, TVs, and the internet increasingly spread
depressing news to info-hungry, consumerist societies. “News” outlets often propagate graphic, sometimes
mind-numbing details about victims’ pain, bereavement, anger, and suffering. It’s so easy to give in, voice despair, turn
bitter, and slump into defeat.
Being faithful disciples in a broken, wounded, bleeding
world is an arduous task. We must
sharpen our senses to perceive God’s presence even when so much around us seems
to deny it and develop the tools necessary to fight for our faith.
Since he’d done his homework about the olive tree’s history,
Joel’s opinion changed. He fell in love
with the gnarled tree and all that it stood for, so much so that he planted a
Dwarf Olive outside his back door. It
reminds him to smile and give thanks for God’s blessings: peace, prosperity,
wisdom, and honor.
