“What It Means to Be Rooted: Staying Grounded When Life Is Shifting”

by Maurice Lange  (U.S. Unit Justice Contact)

I have come to see Earth as:

                                                 our primary teacher, 

                                                                   our primary healer, 

                                                                                   our primary spiritual director.

We hear in the book of Job:

But now ask the beasts to teach you,

    the birds of the air to tell you;

Or speak to the earth to instruct you,

    and the fish of the sea to inform you.

Which of all these does not know

    that the hand of God has done this?

(Job 12: 7-9)

What do the beasts, the fish, and the earth wish to tell us and to teach us?

I am especially instructed by Earth at this time of year in the Northern hemisphere: late-Winter sowing of vegetable seeds indoors for upcoming transplanting into the garden.  While inserting the seeds into potting soil it is essential to firm them in - to achieve good seed-to-soil contact.  This intimacy with Earth elicits germination. Such a bond allows for the first roots to develop, sinking into Earth which will serve as nourishment and anchoring for the life of the plant.

What are we to learn from Earth in this regard? Trees, for instance, have been rooting for ~400 million years. They stay sustainably grounded-in-place amidst constant shifts: sunlight, moisture, temperature and windspeeds. Trees even engage in a lifetime fast from transportation!

Yes, life shifts. Life evolves. How are we to stay grounded amidst inevitable changes?  My response has to do with humility. To remain humble (humus=Earthy) is to remain true to, indeed, our deepest selves.  The very elements within our bodies come from Earth…and ultimately are gift from a dying supernova. 

In an age of distanced-from-Earth elitist worldviews, let’s stay rooted to our essence, grounded in humility. 

PS:  Oh, don’t forget to go to Earth for healing, for learning and for direction.

(See my short Lenten reflection regarding rooting yourself within your bioregion)