Wednesday, September 12, 2012

GROWING TOGETHER

GROWING TOGETHER

                  A boy visited a pet store to purchase a puppy. He was shown different varieties of pet puppies. But he selected a weak, lame and limping puppy lying alone in a corner. The manager explained that it was handicapped, but the boy showed him his own crutches which he had to use as support during walking. He said, "That poor, little puppy needs me and I need him. We need each other."
                  The evergreen giant redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) of California are often so high( maximum height = 379.3 feet or 115.6 m) that their tops are not seen clearly from the ground. They are large (with a diameter up to 26 feet or 7.9 m). Still these trees have an  amazingly shallow root system. Their roots remain near the surface soil and do not go deep (maximum depth is about 13 feet only). But these majestic trees can withstand even strong storms with ease. Their surprising stability is caused by 'co-operative growth' or the 'grove factor'.
                 The trees grow in close proximity to each other. The roots of a tree spread out in all directions (extending to up to 100 feet from the trunk) and get tangled up with the roots of the neighbouring trees. The intertwining of the roots of the trees which grow together protects each tree from the onslaughts of nature like harsh winds and raging floods. Trees in forests of redwoods have lasted  for up to two thousand years but a solitary tree may not last long.
                The growth of the Sequoia trees is a model for any family, community, congregation or society. A group grows to reach a stable state only when the members are knit together in love and harmony. Firm fellowship of the faithful enables a church to withstand the winds of temptation or persecution.
                Our spiritual life can progress and flourish only with the sincere support of others, especially when we face difficulties and crises in life. The Church as a community in communion with Christ, provides this support and solidarity to its members.
                The early Christian communities displayed three major qualities: Daring, Caring and Sharing. They had the courage to practise Christianity even facing adverse conditions and persecutions. They showed care and kindness to each other, especially to the weak, the sick and the poor. 
                 We should be ready to share our possessions with those in greater need. We may give without loving, but we cannot love without giving. Sir Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
             "The group of believers was one in mind and heart. No one said that any of his belongings was his own, but they all shared with one another, everything they had...There was no one in the group who was in need" {Acts 4: 32-34}.


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© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and  Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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