Palm Tree Christians

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

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