Exposed Roots

One of Sweden's longest and most popular national trails is called the Kungsleden or "King's Trail" which starts in the Northern town of Abisko and stops in the Southern town of Hemaven. Most people hike/camp Kungsleden over their summer, breaking it up into four weeks or a portion of the trail for a week or two. The trail is marked with posts every few hundred yards and huts every 6-14 miles (about a days hike). The trail was created around the turn of the 19th century to get the Swedes outdoor to enjoy their beautiful country! And what a beautiful country it is!


While James and I spent a few days at Abisko National Park, we set out one afternoon to hike a portion of this 270 mile trail. As we walked the easy part of the Kings trail my eyes were basking in the lush, green landscape with the Abisko river hugging the path. I couldn't keep my eyes off the rushing river in all its glory. In one area of the trail, cliffs and rocks made of gorgeous marble slats layered the banks of the river, encasing it in unique beauty.

Making our way a few miles into the trail, we came into the forested areas of Abisko with beautiful wildflowers and gorgeous mountain peaks. And then I noticed something a bit disturbing. Many of the lush trees had a labrynth of roots growing up and out near the walking path, completely exposed. Anyone taking the Kings Trail trampled on hundreds of exposed roots that lay bare on the path with no soil to protect them. Some of the roots broke off and were no longer connected to the tree.. Some roots were still in tact, just exposed to harsh hikers feet.



Walking on exposed roots felt a little like nails on the chalkboard to me. Somehow it felt wrong. I immediately remembered that somewhere in scripture, Christ-followers are challenged to be rooted in Christ's love. Here I had a visual of what it looks like when your roots are not deeply rooted in the good soil it needs but instead exposed to strangers and their trampling feet.

When we got back to the Lodge, I found this scripture in Ephesians 3:17 that Paul penned "...I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Paul prayed that every Christ-follower would find their roots of faith established and deeply centered in the most important thing -- God's rich and deep labrynth of love.

If not rooted in Christ's love, what's the alternative? Does our faith look like these exposed roots when it's not rooted deeper in His love? Exposed roots. Exposed to whoever walks by and tramples those roots underfoot. Exposed to strangers who could care less. That's not exactly how the biblical text reads but I considered the "or else" as I now saw the visual on roots that didn't go deep, roots whose soil no longer protected and preserved the growth of the true roots.

And here is the challenge my soul was left with on the Kings Trail.

My life is like a tree. Somewhere in the Bible it talks about being a tree planted by streams of living water. It's important where you are planted but it's also important how deep you allow your roots to go. I once heard that one of the primary understandings among architects is that you can only build as high as you build deep. Where you plant your life, how deep you plant it will also determine how strong and high it can grow.

My prayer for myself and all my loved ones is that our roots will be buried, completely covered by the dirt grow deep in Him. Deeper and deeper until we're lost in how high, how wide, how deep....Until our roots are that labyrinth of grace hidden in the rich soil of His love. Hidden. Unexposed roots. Roots that have the opportunity to thrive in the richness of His essence.