I heard a tragic story recently.  It was about a nineteen-year-old man who hanged himself somewhere in the South.  Those who found him also found a note tacked to the tree beside his body.  It read, “This tree is the only thing I have found in life that has any roots.”

Dramatic?  Yes!  Overly so?  No!

I doubt if there is one of us who does not know someone in desperate need of security, roots, a feeling of belonging, a sense of connectedness.

More and more I’m convinced that the breakdown of the family is our most devastating national problem.  This breakdown leaves people adrift with no roots.  That’s the reason the religious community must provide fellowship and identity.  That’s the reason intentional friendship is essential.

Do you know someone looking for security and belonging?  Don’t let them think that some tree is the only thing they can find with roots.