The Color of Roots

“A tree stands strong not by its fruits or branches,

but by the depth of its roots.” 

(Anthony Liccione)

A few weeks ago I moved our potted English ivy in order to clean behind it. In so doing I discovered that most of the leaves on the back of the plant had died. In fact, only a facade of health presented itself on the front side. It was mostly dead; mostly, but not quite. Clearly there was a problem with the roots, the bulk of them decayed within the mystery of the soil. 

I was tempted to simply toss the ivy into our compost barrel, however, I wanted to salvage something of this once beautiful plant, and so I clipped a handful of healthy vines and popped them into a jar of water. The rest of the plant went outside (it was March, with nighttime temperatures well below zero Celsius, and the crazy ivy refused to give up the ghost - it's still living!). Within a couple of weeks the jar was filling with new roots. 

This is truly a miracle in my eyes - that life so hungers for growth, for possibilities, for roots. This weekend I will pot these tender shoots, surrounding them with moist, rich humus, the foundation within which the next incarnation of this English ivy will grow.

It is hard place to be - rootless. The ivy vines would be long brown by now had they not sent roots tendrilling into the water, reaching for life, for renewal. So too with us human-beings. We need roots. 

There are times in life when we are cut off from our roots. Perhaps they were not well-grounded, were rotten in some way; maybe circumstances caused our roots to be severed. Either way, when dislocated from that which grounds us the fruit of our life begins to whither.

“I'm planting a tree

to teach me to gather strength

from my deepest roots.” 

(Andrea Koehle Jones, The Wish Trees)

Of what are your roots composed? Beliefs? Relationships and community? Self-image? Love? Christ? What grounds you? What forms your roots? Are they nourishing your whole being - body, soul, heart, and mind? If they are not, perhaps it is time to take a cutting and begin to grow new shoots. There are times when severing the old for the sake of life is the most desirable choice.

Regardless of the nature of your own roots, the universal soil in which we all find our well-being is the loam of Love. When we delve deep into the miracle and mystery of Love's power we can realize unending potential for growth, healing, and new life.

"For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down,

that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail.

"Though its roots grow old in the ground

And its stump dies in the dry soil,

at the scent of water it will flourish

and put forth sprigs like a plant.

(Job 14:7-9)

You are a miracle, for life pulses through your whole being, even in the midst of hardships and challenges. Life pours into and through you, touching the people around you, setting off a vibration like dominoes bumping against each other. When your roots are strong, nourished in good soil, then the dominoes that topple before you represent the healing of the world. Know that in this day you have the power to make a difference in someone's life because of your roots, your leaves and branches, your fruit.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist: 

"O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You;

Look down from heaven and see,

and take care of this vine,

Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted..."

(Psalms 80:14-15)

The color of roots...

as be the roots, so be the tree.

Storm ravaged branch and trunk

find hope

far

below the ground

in

near-forgotten

roots

Grow

breathe

pray

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.: (Psalm 1.3)

- From common lore: “I love your roots, not the flower everybody sees!” (Akilnathan Logeswaran)

- From Native American lore: 

"One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said "my son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. 

One is evil. It is anger,

envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

the grandson though about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:

Which wolf wins?...

the old Cherokee simply replied, 'the one that you feed'"