Tag: winter

Faith Like a Rock (3 of 4)

Posted on by Andrew Conard

As the winter has turned to spring in Kansas, I have been reflecting on faith and its comparison to various things in nature. This is the third in a series of posts on this topic.

A rock, especially a large one, is solid and doesn’t change very often. This type of faith would be unchanging across a long period of time. Circumstances might change the exterior (like snow or rain on a rock’s surface) but the interior faith would remain the same. While a tree goes through the seasons in a year, this type of faith could cycle much more often or perhaps over a series of years. Unlike the deciduous tree or evergreen tree there would not really be periods of growth and dormancy. No disease, no pests and not much change.

Would you like to have faith like a rock?

What else would you add to this simile?

Faith Like a Deciduous Tree (2 of 4)

Posted on by Andrew Conard

As the winter has turned to spring in Kansas, I have been reflecting on faith and its comparison to various things in nature. This is the second in a series of posts on this topic.

A deciduous tree is always somewhere in a cycle with its leaves: budding, green, browning, losing and bare. This type of faith would be somewhere in a cycle: growth, vibrancy, losing luster and barren. While a deciduous tree goes through the seasons in a year, this type of faith could cycle much more often or perhaps over a series of years. Like the evergreen tree there would be periods of growth and dormancy, however they would be more noticeable on the outside. Any disease or pests become evident when the leaves begin to turn brown. Questions about faith or times of spiritual discontent would be evident sooner than later. A catastrophic event could completely uproot this tree (or faith) and leave it without roots to die.

Would you like to have faith like a deciduous tree?

What else would you add to this simile?

Faith Like an Evergreen Tree (1 of 4)

Posted on by Andrew Conard

As the winter has turned to spring in Kansas, I have been reflecting on faith and its comparison to various things in nature. This is the first in a series of posts on this topic.

An evergreen tree is always green no matter what the season. This type of faith would be constant regardless of the circumstances in which one found oneself. There would be periods of growth and dormancy, but they would not be noticeable on the outside. Any disease or pests become evident when the leaves begin to turn brown. Questions about faith or times of spiritual discontent would be evident on the outside only after they had made an impact internally.

Would you like to have faith like an evergreen tree?

What else would you add to this simile?