Jeremiah
17:7-8
As I
look out my office window here at home, I see them. They're everywhere,
towering above the houses like sentinels standing guard against some imaginary
invasion. They're palm trees. For some strange reason, people in Phoenix love
palm trees. They are literally everywhere, lining streets, poking up out of
yards and parking lots, even growing wildly in alleys and along the canals. New
homes are landscaped with them. People plant them in the yards of their
historic homes. You can't get away from palm trees here in the Valley of the
Sun.
The
funny thing about palm trees, though, is that they are not native to the
desert. At least, not to this desert. Every single palm tree for hundreds of
miles around was brought here or cultivated locally in a nursery. Many have
sprung up on their own like weeds as the wind or birds have spread their seeds
across the valley. And they're almost impossible to kill once they become
established.
As
popular as palm trees are, they really serve no useful purpose. I'm not sure
why people like them, other than they seem to give off a tropical feel to the
desert. Step outside in the middle of the day in July, and you will immediately
realize that you are NOT in the tropics, regardless of how many palm trees are
in your field of vision! Palm trees grow extremely tall, yet have no branches. They
are very high maintenance (it's fascinating to watch tree trimmers rappelling
up the trunks with a rope in one hand and a chain saw in the other). They're
messy. Every time there is a storm or even a strong wind, they fall apart and
drop their dead fronds and whatever has been nesting in them (they're a
favorite roosting spot for pigeons - need I say more?). You can't rest under
their shade, or hang a swing or a bird feeder on them. They really are good for
nothing except show. And to suck up a ton of water.
As I
was pondering about palm trees, I realized how many Christians resemble these
odd plants. How many Christians do you know who really serve no useful purpose
other than to stand around trying to look good? They don't provide anything of
value to those around them. They absorb resources but give back practically
nothing. They fall apart at every crisis and make a big mess. They are out of
place and don't really fit in with their surroundings. And they are very high
maintenance, requiring regular attention, and getting ugly if they don't get
it. I'm pretty sure these are not the types of Christians that God intended to
populate the world with. And they're certainly not the kind that I like to hang
around with.
Rather,
I prefer Christians who are more like the massive mesquite tree that grows in
my front yard. Mesquites are native to the Sonoran desert region (where Phoenix
is located). They belong here, and adapt perfectly well to our climate. My
largest mesquite tree (I have numerous ones around my property) provides an
amazing amount of shade; it nearly shades the entire eastern face of my house,
which helps keep my house cool all day long. I hang a bird feeder and a
hummingbird feeder from its strong branches. I suppose I could hang a swing as
well if I was so inclined to want a tree swing. I haven't watered this
particular tree in over a decade. It is extremely resourceful in finding the
water that it needs deep underground. Its gnarled branches provide an
interwoven canopy that not only covers most of my front yard, but also provides
plenty of secret nesting places for the mourning doves that seem to enjoy
living there, safe from the nasty pigeons. Several times a year, I will prune
back the tree limbs that start to get too close to the roof, or start to hang
too low to the ground. All this pruning helps the tree to become bigger and
stronger and to provide even more shade (and I use some of the cuttings in my
grill to give my food an amazing mesquite flavor). The tree weathers even the
most severe storms without bending or twisting or breaking off branches (thanks
to the interwoven nature of the undergrowth).
Needless
to say, I love my mesquite trees. And I love to be around Christians who are
like these trees. They're useful, resourceful, strong and protective. They even
lend flavor to the world around them. They stand firm in the face of adversity
and grow stronger as a result. They are a source of refuge for the weak, and
nourishment for the hungry. I think these are the types of Christians God wants
to plant in the world. And the kind that I want to be. How about you?
Have a
blessed week!
Pastor
David
