Many years ago I visited the West Coast of the USA; one of the states I toured was California. While I was there I was taken with a group of tourists to see the Worlds biggest trees, the Giant Redwoods, the biggest being over 360 feet.

The guide with our party asked, “How deep do you think the roots go down into the soil?” A member of our party answered that the roots for these giants must go down all the way to the centre of the Earth. The guide replied, “Actually the roots are very shallow and they don’t go down far at all, only 20 feet or so.” “That’s impossible.” Was the reply, “How possibly can the trees of that size manage to remain standing?” The guide explained, “They are able to stand up because each root hooks around the roots of a neighbouring tree. Beneath the surface they actually link arms, forming an interweave root system of support. They literally hold one another up!”

That sounds like the perfect definition of our own world wide church family: Through our prayers and daily communications, we hold one another up. Your roots don’t need to be too deep or widespread as long as they can link with others.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:26.