 FLOODS, EROSION, WASHAWAYS Ancient, gnarled red gum trees line the banks of the River Murray. The roots of these trees are exposed by years of flooding; eventually, the trees topple into the river to become snags to river traffic. The trees do not succumb easily to the onslaught on their roots by flood or storm; their root system has grown deep into the earth, they are anchored by their taproot.  When I was a volunteer, working in the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden nursery, I took over the job of growing seedlings. The seeds of most Eucalypts are as fine a pepper. There would spring two tiny leaves from seeds that appeared to be as pepper, and when the seedling was about an inch high, I would repot the seedlings into a bigger pot. I would be left amazed; the taproot root would be up to three times the length of the seedling. The Eucalypts would grow their roots first, anchor themselves into the soil and then commence to grow their canopy., The life span of River Red Gums is hundreds of years. Ridge Park, Unley, South Australia, houses a red gum eucalypt estimated to be 300 years. The tree is immense.  We can be easily deluded into thinking drugs and alcohol will stabilize us. We look at governments and relationships, and possession’s for security., Alas, these things are not the kind of soil in which to put down our taproots and stabilize our life. Where can we find the kind of permanency, security, peace, calm in life’s storm? How can we be adults who don’t get swept away like gums with exposed roots along the riverbank? How can we avoid meltdowns, tantrums, guilt, accuse everyone else but ourselves when life happens?  There are many myths about Jesus which we are deluded enough to believe. Unfortunately, our only fount of knowledge concerning Jesus is the TV, films and social media. We have no idea of the truth about Jesus that is to be found in the Bible. The lie is, he condemns us, keeps us poor, allows us to be sick. There is the myth that we have to be good enough; we have to be a wowser. However, the scripture says, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish.’ John 3: 16.
The truth is Jesus Christ came to give us abundant life. Listen to this, ‘The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I (Jesus) have come that they (you and me) might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.’ John 10: 10. Jesus came to stabilize our life, prosper us, give us his joy and peace. When we take the time and trouble to search out the truth, we find that Jesus is the taproot that will settle us down and provide mental and physical strength. Jesus is the moral soil that does not wash away when life sends a flood. Jesus is the calm, the peace, the joy, the sanity in a mad and cruel world.
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