Blessed in the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
That one is like a tree planted beside the waters
That stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
Its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
Jer 17, 7-8
Years ago, someone gave me two pussy willow stems. They rooted quickly in a water-filled vase and after just a few weeks they were ready to plant. I put them beside the garage where a future bush would be visible from the kitchen window. That was a mistake. A water pipe ran not far from the pussy willow and became clogged over the years by willow roots doing just what the tree did in Jeremiahs metaphor: They stretched out to water, finding every tiny crack until the pipe was full and the bathtub upstairs wouldnt drain.
How can roots be so smart? And what happened to my spiritual smarts when it comes to seeking out the water that gives me life? A quick Internet search informed me that plant roots ability to grow toward water or moisture is called hydrotropism and occurs at the tender root cap, which sends a signal to another part of the root that controls growth. The root cap adds a cell at a time in the direction of the water source. If the root cap is cut off or damaged (or in some experiments, covered) the root will not grow toward the moisture.
Tropisms (from Greek tropos, to turn, and ism, a system) exist in plants for all types of stimuli: heat, light, moisture, and gravity. Plants can respond positively and grow toward the stimuli or negatively and grow away from stimuli. (Some plants love sun, others thrive in shade.) Plants dont grow toward something that is harmful but move steadily toward what is necessary for their survival.
Human beings, on the other hand, have the dubious ability to misread their environment and move toward empty or harmful things while ignoring what is healthy, all the while thinking they are approaching the good. This can happen in the physical realm: Eating nachos and chocolate instead of broccoli and fish. It can also happen in the spiritual realm: Filling up every available moment with activity rather than taking time to become aware of God-With-Us and respond to that Presence.
Lent can be a time to make sure our spiritual root caps are in good shape and leading us in a life-giving direction. That they are not stunted by constant activity, overload, or bad habits. Giving ourselves time to read Scripture or other sources of spiritual wisdom, to pray, to reflect, to worship revitalizes our spiritual sensitivity and helps us rest in a place that will feed our souls and renew our hearts.
© 2010 Mary van Balen
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