Sermon Central
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Spiritual Depth: Icebergs, Not Trees
Contributed by Gregg Barbour on Feb 8, 2010 (message contributor)
Spiritual Depth: Icebergs, Not Trees
For lots of people, when they think of depth-they think of a tree with deep roots. The thinking is that if a tree wants to be big and strong, then it has to grow its roots deep into the soil to support its weight. I did some research on tree roots, and it's actually quite different---tree roots tend to grow shallow and WIDE. Some do, in fact grow deep "tap roots," but they rely on their surface roots for oxygen, moisture, and their nutrients. Most trees, though, spread their roots really wide, some as far as 10 times beyond the distance from the trunk to the top. So, when you think of a tree, maybe the thinking should be width, and not depth.
There is something in nature, though, that has some serious depth. When ships are out at sea, many of the naval officers see icebergs floating in the water moving against the current, even when high winds are blowing in the other direction. The reason is that only 10 percent of an icebergs mass is above water. The iceberg's depth is 90 percent below water, making it nearly impossible to judge its size by looking at it. There's technology around today that can monitor stuff like that, but back before 1912 none of that was in place which is why when the Titanic ran into it, the unsinkable ship sank. So, when we think of depth, we should think of an iceberg.
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