The Miracle of the Tree in the Rock

My friend Kim sent me a photograph she had taken on a recent hike in Southeastern Oregon. The photo featured a sight that seemed impossible: a juniper tree rising straight out of solid stone. No soil, no softness, no invitation for roots—just rock. There it sits, strong and green, alive against all odds.

I keep looking at the photo over and over. The improbable image lingers with me, not only as a marvel of nature, but as a teacher of paradox – the impossible union of two incredible beings. How can something so rooted and alive find its beginning in what appears to be barren? How can life insist on flourishing in the most unwelcoming places? Read more…