Up-rooted plants simply cannot grow. They need to be firmly rooted to meet all their alimentary and elementary needs. Human beings, it would appear, are no different. They too need to be firmly rooted. In the absence of their solid roots, they are blown about in the wind; they lose themselves and become powerless. They remain purposeless, without knowing why. Having reached the limits of their capacity, they try to do more. They wait for new seasons and get upset because of the lack of change. The fact is that they have up-rooted themselves in the search for more and more. Because of the uprooting – due to the pressures of conforming to others – they have lost their connection to the earth and each other. Ironically, they are now too afraid to approach either in case they are confronted by themselves.
No longer being able to admit that they are lost, they let themselves be tossed about aimlessly. So much so that they tacitly tell the world that they are okay with it. They are afraid to stop and gather themselves. They stop not even for a moment for fear of missing out on the next wind of opportunity. They do not stop in case all that is following 10 feet behind them catches up and topples them. They do not stop in case they are confronted with the painful truth that there is nothing to gather. Afraid, they feel if they were to stop to gather ground and root themselves, someone would trample them and they would no longer be seen. They have uprooted themselves so that they may always be seen, and so that they may feel that they are always moving. But constantly being on the move does not mean you are growing. And more importantly, being planted does not mean you are being buried.
Being planted to grow roots is necessarily required. But often there is fear of this season. They fear the dark and the intimacy with themselves; they are fearful of the vulnerability it takes to surrender to the earth which is so much bigger than us and holds so much mystery. Underneath the ground they are competing with other plants, insects and animals, all of which threaten to cause them damage in their own pursuits. However, once they are there and they grow eyes to see in the dark, they realize that the task of growth is not their own. The little critters wriggling all around them and annoying them are actually there to help them grow. They also realize that they do not actually have to do anything. The soil supports them, pushes them, feeds them, let’s them drink, makes space for them – and in that space they find their purpose.
In the garden of life, we are all plants with different attributes that speak to our purpose. Those attributes show us why we have been given that particular form and that particular space in life. Perhaps we are growing into a plant that will bear flowers with an uplifting scent, or a plant that bears fruit to fill the stomachs of those that are hungry. We could be growing into an herb designed for healing, or a tall plant for the small and the vulnerable to hide in. This process of growth and self-discovery should be a joyous one, not one filled with the unnecessary stress of trying to grow without roots or without being truly connected to anything or wanting instead to bear the fruit that someone else bears. An apple tree does not covet the fruit of the pear tree, it just grows.
When we live from our roots, we realize that we are all valuable members of this cosmic garden regardless of our size, color or shape. We are like flowers resting in the gardens surrounded by the Kingdom of God, and it is God that nurtures us, tends to us and helps us to grow into our individualities. When we fear we might get trampled on, it is God that keeps the gardens safe. It is God that makes sure our soil is filled with Love so that our roots are constantly nourished so that we are able to continually blossom. It is God that maintains our stalks, cutting away the dead leaves that may be feeding on our life. It is God that has planted us, out of Love, and into Love, so that we all play a part of bringing some joy into this world. That is the revelation of God. Knowing this, is enlightenment.
In this generation, may we find our roots and not be as plants blowing about in the wind. May we find comfort in the soil of Love and let ourselves be nurtured by what is around us, knowing that there is nothing in nature that grows on its own. May we surrender to purpose and love, and blossom into our true individual, authentic selves, regardless of what that looks like for others. May we not stunt our own growth by refusing to move with our seasons of rooting and blossoming, out of fear. May we simply grow, realizing the importance of roots.
