Column by Dr. Ann Hollingsworth
This past Sunday my church had homecoming, which is still a tradition with many of our smaller rural churches – much like reunions are still a tradition with some families, some school graduating classes, etc. It is an annual gathering of people who have roots together to reminisce and reconnect. These tend to be very enjoyable occasions and has left me pondering the changes in the way that we now tend to disconnect from our roots and the impact of that.
We people are like birds in that when we are grown enough, the norm is to leave the nest and fly off on our own life pathway. But we are also like trees in that we do have roots that nourish us and give us strength to survive in all of the storms of life. Staying in a nest too long can hinder a baby bird learning to fly well. A tree severed from its roots will soon die.
As people, our roots tend to be what is in our lives as children and teens until we are old enough to leave the nest. It is understandable that a more mobile society will have us bending away from our roots further and more often. But have we bent away so far as to be damaging to us? A friend recently commented that when both of his parents were deceased, the family seemed to disintegrate. I see that very strongly in my own family. My generation does not have the family reunions of my childhood that were orchestrated by older generations. My immediate family are all going in totally separate directions with no interest in any other family members. This is not just my story – it seems to be the story of most folks I know now.
In the Old Testament, there is much about God giving His children their bit of land for an inheritance. That land has always been a keystone in the life of Israel and God is returning His people to that land as time moves to the change from current existence to eternity. Today, “homeplace” and family heirlooms mean nothing to people. There is much less nostalgia with the high school we went to or the community we grew up in.
There are some who are trying to erase the roots of the United States. I go back to the fact that a tree severed from its roots will die. If we do not stay connected to the home of family, the home church, the home community, etc., we are also taking true life out of ourselves and our country. We are in essence committing suicide as we flounder aimlessly in mere existence instead of true living.
