The Redwood Forest
On a hot Sunday afternoon during the summer season, Simon, a priest, picked two of his altar boys to accompany him as it was his routine to go out and have fun on Sundays after the fellowship service. He preferred to go out in the company of members of the clergy from his church. Simon was a very jolly and kind person whom they all loved spending time with. So each and every member of the clergy wanted to be picked by Simon to accompany him. This time round, the two lucky ones were Glen and Malcom, the two altar boys.
Simon called them after the service and asked them to join him in his usual Sunday afternoon adventure. Simon asked them where they wished to spend their afternoon, but they were so excited that they couldn’t decide on a specific place to hang out. Glen loved swimming and boat riding. He wanted to go to the beach. On the other hand, Malcom was adventurous and loved art, so he preferred visiting the museum. Since they could not settle on a specific place, Simon told them that they would follow him to a place of his choice. A game reserve it was.
Simon’s driver ignited the car, and off they went. They bought some cold drinks that they could have on their way. They arrived at the gates of the game reserve and shifted to another vehicle that could cruise through the rugged terrain of the game reserve. As usual, they were assigned a tour guide who would lead and instruct them in the reserve since it was bushy and full of wild animals. So in this case, the tour guide, Daniel, was a game ranger as well. Simon’s driver was still the one to drive them. He was directed towards the entry, and they started their tour into the bushy game reserve. They sank deeper and deeper into the grassland and thickets as they enjoyed the various wild plants and animals. They emerged at a junction where there was a sudden change of climate.
As they proceeded, Simon noticed something weird, or rather difficult to explain. They had travelled along a stretch of road approximately 7 kilometers from the junction. He realized that the vegetation was very different on the opposite sides of the road they were moving on. Coincidentally, Daniel, the game warden, turned to the two altar boys and asked them, “Have you noticed anything since we emerged at the junction?”
Glen and Malcom stared at each other in curiosity. They shook their heads in silence and then turned to Simon. Malcom asked Simon, “What have you noticed since we emerged at the junction?”
Simon said, “Aren’t you wondering why plants and trees on this side,” he pointed and continued, “are very different from the ones on the opposite side?”
“Oooh! Yeah! That side is so dry, and trees have shed off their leaves, whereas on this other side, these red trees are so big and have so many leaves.”
“You are very observant,” Daniel told Priest Simon.
“Thank you, Daniel,” Simon said, “and what could be the reason?”
Daniel smiled as he stared at them. “I will let you make a guess first before I can tell you,” he continued. A prolonged silence ensued as they all pondered the conundrum. The priest looked at his two altar boys waiting to hear what they could make of it.
The silence was going on for too long, so Simon decided to ask Malcom, “What do you think the reason is?”
Malcom said, “Probably, the soil on this side is different from the soil on the other side.” He went silent for some minutes and added, “There could be some water on that side. An oasis or something.”
They looked at Daniel, waiting to hear what he had to say. He shook his head and said, “Well, probably.”
“Look!” Simon interrupted as he pointed to the big forest on one side. “I can see some other smaller trees in between the big red trees that are withering. Are they not on the same soil or ground?”
Malcom raised his shoulders in a manner suggesting that he knew his answer was wrong. Daniel giggled excitedly and asked them to make another guess.
Simon asked Glen, “What about you? You are good at geography and science. What is your explanation to this odd phenomenon?”
They all turned to Glen, eagerly waiting to listen to his rationale. Glen smiled and said, “I think this particular species of trees is drought-resistant and can thrive during long spells without water. They can store enough water during the rainy season that can sustain them during the dry season.”
Simon and Malcom nodded and looked convinced by Glen’s answer. Daniel, though, still stared at them while smiling. At this point, the discussion was becoming more interesting and arousing curiosity that the driver was also engaged. He was quick to point to a few species of the same red trees that were growing on the dry side. However, they did not look healthy like the ones growing together. They had few leaves compared to the ones growing in the forest.
The driver asked Glen, “Are those few trees not the same as the big ones growing together on this other side?”
They looked at Daniel, who answered, “Yes, they are the exact same species.”
“So your guess cannot be right,” the driver told Glen.
“Concentrate on driving. I agree my answer is wrong,” Glen jokingly replied.
They all laughed as Priest Simon turned to the tour guide. “We are out of guesses. Tell us. What is so special about these particular trees on this side?”
Daniel smiled and signalled the driver to stop.
“All your guesses have some logic,” he said. “But the true secret is under the ground.”
He pointed at the towering redwoods. “These are the tallest trees on Earth, yet their roots are shallow. So how do they withstand the wind? They hold on to each other.”
He explained how their roots spread outward and, upon meeting, fused together into a single, interconnected web. “They are not a collection of individual trees. They are a community. They share water and nutrients. The strong support the weak. That is why this forest thrives.”
He then gestured to the sparse, dry side of the road. “Those few redwoods are the same species, in the same soil. But they were planted alone. Their roots have no one to grasp. They face every storm and drought in isolation, with only their own strength. That is why they struggle.”
A deep silence followed.
Father Simon slowly nodded, a look of revelation on his face. He turned to the boys.
“Do you see?” he asked softly. “This is the most profound sermon. We are not meant to be solitary trees. Our strength, our very survival, comes from our connection to others. It comes from our willingness to intertwine our lives and support one another. That is true fellowship.”
Malcolm looked at the forest. “Then the withering trees in the middle are still supported?”
“Yes,” said Daniel. “The community has not abandoned them.”
They continued the tour in thoughtful quiet. As they drove home at sunset, Glen broke the silence.
“Father Simon? I am glad we all came together today.”
Simon smiled warmly. “So am I, Glen.”
And in that moment, they felt it, an invisible bond weaving between them, just like the roots of the redwoods.