United We Stand

09/02/2024 • View profile

The giant sequoia trees grow to an average height of 50–85 m (164–279 ft) with trunk diameters ranging from 6–8 m (20–26 ft). Record trees have been measured at 94.8 m (311 ft) tall. Giant sequoias are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. The oldest known giant sequoia is 3,200–3,266 years old.

With such a massive tree, you'd expect its roots to go down very deep into the earth to be able to hold up such a high tree and its huge weight. But when you dig down you will find that its roots only go down to six feet or so. How can just six feet of roots hold up such a tree for so long?

Let's look at the roots. You will notice that instead of going down they spread horizontally and they entangle and inter-twine with the roots of other sequoia trees creating a widespread "net" or mesh of roots which holds the vertical tree strongly upright.

Here's the science: If you stand one pencil or a candle on a table it can easily be knocked over. But if you glue it to a wooden or cardboard base, (say 6" X 9" and only half-inch thick), you have extended the surface area (the base) of the pencil and the centre of gravity making it more difficult to knock over the glued pencil, even though the base (the roots) are only half-an inch deep.

When we become Christians we are similarly united with a world-wide network of people who believe that there is only one living God and Jesus is His only Son Who died for us. This is the wide base that unites us all as children of God; standing tall in the service of our Lord.