Are we Rooted?

The Shepherd's tree (Boscia albitrunca), native to the Kalahari Desert, has the deepest documented roots at more than 70 meters, or 230 feet, deep.

On the other hand, some plants have shallow roots that only take up a small space below the surface. Vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, and radishes have these roots. Flowering plants such as azaleas, hostas, salvias, hydrangeas, and petunias belong to shallow-rooted plants.

The depth of our faith roots falls between the surface and the super-subterranean. Therefore, we would say that we are proactive in caring for this area of our lives and that our foundations grow greater with each passing day.

Our faith strengthens through the stems of confidence and community.

We have accumulated assurance over the years based on what the God of the Bible has so obviously done in our lives. Unexplainable blessings have unfolded. Miraculous turns have unexpectedly occurred.

We never thought that long-term sobriety was a possibility for us. Yet, it currently plays out in our lives. Where our best intellect and willpower failed, the supernatural succeeded.

The recovery phenomenon was just the beginning of a continuous delivery of extraordinary demonstrations of good works.

Acknowledging the source of greatness is the start of confidence.

We can’t explain nor take credit for most of what happens in our existence. We are too small to produce the big that transpires in our lives.

Fate? We think not. As we believe that a God created the earth and humans, we fail to see how the majesty would stop there. It doesn’t make sense.

Community, as well, strengthens the root system. We have proof.

We belong to a small group of men (affectionately nicknamed “the Rhinos – more on that later) who seek to understand the God of the Bible. Though this can be done isolated, the perspective through participation is revealing and rewarding.

If you have been to a wedding in the last century, you have probably heard the Bible verse: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Solomon is emphasizing an age-old truth that there is strength in numbers. What is interesting about this verse is recognizing that it doesn't take many numbers to increase strength.

We have found that working on our roots with others produces exponential results.

For the record, we don't choose only Bible scholars to hang with. We hang with God-haters, questioners, and doubters, for we sometimes possess all of those qualities. But we have the shared commitment to learning more about this God TOGETHER.

Rhino Mentality

The white rhino is a larger African specie of the rhino family, weighing 3 tons on average and standing approximately 6 feet. Clocking in faster than a squirrel’s pace (20mph), they eclipse speeds in the low 30mph, running primarily on their toes. All the while, they can see only 30 feet in front of themselves. That is why the group is called a “crash.”

This describes us and the company we keep. We are just big, dumb animals who are forging toward understanding our God better. We will make mistakes, misinterpret, misquote, and misrepresent at times. We will crash and, together with the herd, pick ourselves up and resume movement toward our goal.

We aspire to strengthen our roots in a raw relationship with a father figure and resist the rituals and religious-based man-made institutions. We desire the equivalent of faith depth as the root system of a Shepherd’s tree.

If you are into that kind of thing –join the crash!

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Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from asweunderstandhim.coffee podcast #1 titled “A Rhino Mentality.” The podcast dropped on 5/14/2023. Click here to hear the podcast.

Photo by Pawan Sharma on Unsplash

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