A few days ago, I decided to take transit to work instead of driving. I needed a break from my usual routine, and as a hobbyist photographer, I had been missing the simple joy of a photowalk. Taking transit gave me a reason to slow down, look around, and perhaps take a few pictures along the way.
I’m glad I did.
As I walked, I came across a street lined with trees, their leaves glowing in shades of red and orange. It was a familiar autumn scene—one I had passed many times without giving it much thought. But that morning, I stopped to notice.
Questions began to fill my mind. How long had those trees been there? What had they looked like when they were first planted? What kind of small, unassuming seed had eventually become something so beautiful?
Looking at their branches, I began to think about the roots I could not see—and about our journey of faith.
Within Adventism, we place great value on understanding our beginnings and the beliefs that have shaped our movement. I see a great benefit in that. Our roots help us understand where we come from. They connect us to the faith, sacrifice, and hope of those who came before us.
But a tree’s life involves more than establishing roots. Those roots support a whole lifetime of growth.
Sometimes, in our desire to protect the foundations of our faith, we can become uneasy with questions, unfamiliar perspectives, or a deeper understanding that challenges what we have always assumed. We may begin to measure faithfulness by how little we change.
Yet a living tree changes constantly. Its trunk strengthens. Its branches reach farther. Its leaves respond to the seasons. Throughout those changes, its roots continue to nourish it.
Perhaps our faith can grow in a similar way.
We begin with what we are taught. Over time, those teachings meet the realities of our lives: joy, disappointment, difficult questions, unexpected kindness, and encounters with God we could never have anticipated. What we once repeated from memory becomes something we must prayerfully consider and learn to live.
Paul connects these ideas when he encourages believers to be rooted in Christ and built up in Him (Colossians 2:6–7). Being rooted and growing belong together.
That morning, the trees reminded me to be patient—with my own journey and with the journeys of others. Their beauty had taken time. Much of their growth had happened quietly, long before I stopped to notice.
May we cherish the roots that have nourished us and remain open to the growth God is bringing. As our understanding deepens, may our lives offer more shade to the weary, more room for others, and more of the love of Christ.
There is still so much growing to do.