What Aspen Trees Teach Us About Community
The interview ended with the strangest question I had ever heard: what’s your favorite tree and why?
I didn’t even hesitate to answer. Apparently the aspen trees that captivate me on the journeys through the mountains have taken deeper root than I knew. The silver leaves that shimmer in the wind, the white bark, and their connectedness make them stand out among forests of evergreens that cover the faces of the mountains.
These trees showcase that there is beauty and wonder in uniqueness, but they also display the need for community, which is probably my favorite thing about them.
According to a report released by the Office of the US Surgeon General on May 2, 2023, about half of Americans feel some measure of loneliness (“Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation”). Admittedly, there are times I’ve felt that way. In our fast paced and overwhelming world, it’s easy to neglect making time for others and to gt wrapped up in our own priorities. But one thing has been clear since the beginning of time: we were created for connection. Humans are social beings that crave to be connected and to belong. This should come as no surprise since we were literally created for community. Genesis 1:27 tells us that we were created in the image of God, and God exists in community within the Trinity. But why would God not only model this connected existence for us, but create us in a way that deeply requires it in order to live abundant lives?
While there are many reasons we can come up with, especially considering the research of health benefits and increased life satisfaction, it boils down to two things: support and genuine relationships.
Support
When we belong to a group bigger than ourselves, we open ourselves up to diverse perspectives, resources, and opportunities. We see this depicted in 1 Corinthians 12 when Paul is explaining how the body of Christ should work: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12 [ESV]). We each come in contact with people that look at the world differently than we do, that have different giftings and stories than we do, and that allow us to see the world through their eyes. While we likely won’t find ourselves surrounded by people who agree with everything we say and do, we will find people who help us be better, who challenge us to think beyond ourselves, and who help show us things we may never have thought of previously.
In community we also find support to face the whole of life. We do not have to celebrate along or go through the terrible things alone when we are in community. When we belong to groups, we have people surrounding us that “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). We know we are not alone, but we have support willing to rally around us.
Genuine Relationships
When we are involved in community, we cultivate genuine relationships. We find comfort with those people we spend time with, letting our guards down. We allow them to see the real us: the best and the worst. In these genuine relationships, we see ourselves being pushed toward Christ. These become the people we turn to for support, and in turn they offer encouragement, solace, and strength for us.
When we find ourselves defeated, they call out the best in us, showcasing our talents back to us, cheering us on, and reminding us that we are chosen and called. When we need a shoulder to cry on, they are there with tissues and a hug. When we feel like we are so weak we can’t move forward, they pull us up and drag us along, if needed. They allow us to rest while they fight battles on our behalf.
When we allow ourselves to experience these things within community, we begin to start growing like the Aspen trees who literally cannot grow alone. They require the support of a group root system so that they may withstand the elements, and they’re always growing toward the light, reaching for heaven.
My prayer for you and I is that we would grow in community like the Aspen trees: strength in numbers because of our deep, shared roots, always reaching toward the Light.