In your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying
The lyrics above come from the hymn “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright.” I am drawn to the concept of us being like “living branches on a tree.” What do we know about branches? One thing we know is that branches cannot grow and thrive if they are not provided with nutrients from the roots below. And branches are connected to other branches that also are fed by the roots below.
The application to Christian living is obvious, but sometimes forgotten in this world where we are becoming more and more isolated and autonomous. Christian living cannot happen in a vacuum. We need to be part the lives of those around us and we need to receive energy from our Lord and Savior, who said quite clearly, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
I see this in action in my neighborhood trees. Branches attached to the rest of the tree stay strong. Those broken off from the tree, fall to the ground and die. So what are we to do to remain “living branches”? Listen to Jesus, let him guide and direct your growth, and reach out to fellow Christians to love and care for them and help them grow in their own connection to Christ. We often talk about our place in our biological family trees, but we need to talk more and more about our places in our spiritual family tree. Who knows how far we can reach as “living branches” for the Lord? Or how high.
