The Peaceful Resistance of Gentle Giants

A Hike through the Mariposa Sequoia Grove on MLK Day and Reflections on Resilience for Our Cultural Moment

Jan 28, 2025

Reading the headlines last Monday morning while I was in California for a board retreat, I noticed the rising, anxious pulse in my chest. Two cultural movements collided on the American calendar: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and inauguration day. The contrast was hard to ignore, one offering a peaceful vision of justice and reconciliation, the other churning out policies in opposition to immigrants and in favor of insurrectionists. But when my friend, Sara, and I entered the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias that day, the enormity of these ancient trees pulled me from the unease of our political moment and into something steadier and stronger.

Fire-Resistance, Emotional Buffers, and New Seeds for Growth

Sequoias are survivors. They endure fire, storms, drought, and centuries, even millennia, of change because of their remarkable adaptations. Walking among them, I noticed many trunks scarred by flames yet these trees continue to grow strong and multiply. Their extremely thick, fire-resistant bark shields them from harm, and rather than succumbing to adversity, they use it to grow stronger.

They’re not invincible, but they are highly resilient. Wildfires, which might devastate other species, often make the sequoias more productive. Sequoias don’t retaliate when burned, but they do respond. In a surprising reversal, the heat of fires opens their cones, releasing seeds into the nutrient-rich ash left behind. Sequoias survive not through aggression but through sharing.

We have our own buffers that can shield us from cultural chaos. Refreshing ourselves with time in nature, journaling, making art, prayer, and meditation, we can find space for healing and growth. It’s also vital to hold on to a strong sense of the imago Dei (image of God) woven into all people. Recognizing this divine imprint fosters compassion, even for those we struggle to understand, and reminds us of our shared worth.

Crises, painful as they may be, can become interesting opportunities for development. Conflicts, when approached with a blend of compassion and strength, can make way for transformation. When the world feels like it’s on fire, we can open up and offer good seeds for future growth.

A Supportive Network of Intertwined Roots

My friend Caroline, a former disaster relief specialist, once told me that the most valuable resource in the aftermath of a disaster isn’t a personal supply kit (though that’s a good idea) but the help of fellow survivors. In the Mariposa Grove, I saw a tangible example of this as we passed Bachelor and Three Graces, a gathering of four towering trees thriving together, sharing water and nutrients, and communicating through underground networks with other sequoias in the grove. Sequoias aren’t self-reliant. They may have shallow roots in proportion to their immense size, but they spread widely, intertwining with their fellow trees to create a safety net of stability and nourishment.

As we face cultural or environmental challenges, we need our own network of mutually supportive relationships. Friends and communities can work together to nurture shalom where we are. When Sara and I hugged the California Tunnel Tree last week, our arms could cover only a small fraction of its trunk. On our own, we are too small to face the problems of dysfunctional systems, but embracing solidarity with other people of peace gives us a wider reach.

Important Ingredients for Resisting Decay

Tannins, the compounds that give the sequoias’ bark its allspice color, also protect them from disease, pests, and decay. This natural defense allows them to endure for millennia. We need defenses, too, not just for our bodies but for our minds and spirits.

Building resilience means growing wise to the tactics of manipulation and fear and educating ourselves on how to spot high-control, abusive traits (research malignant narcissism and Machiavellianism). We need to grow a thick skin for resisting propaganda and twisted truths. Those selling us corrupt ideologies thrive on our blind loyalty and our desire to belong.

Most of us are more likely to overlook concerning behavior in our own identity groups, such as political parties or denominations. It’s vital to examine our loyalties and affiliations and ask hard questions about the fruit they produce in the world and why we would want a bite of it. When faced with leaders or movements that remind us of toxic patterns in history, we can resolve to withdraw our misplaced devotion. Prayer for discernment sharpens our spiritual intuition and gives us strength for peaceful resistance.

Eternity Brushes Against the Earthly

Hiking among the sequoias with my friend, I felt my pulse raise for a happier reason: the joyful rhythm of movement up each incline to higher elevations and the simple gift of being alive in the company of these massive, persevering trees. Physically and spiritually, I felt the tension of our political moment give way, even if temporarily, to a sense of historic and spiritual perspective.

The Grizzly Giant, a tree with one bough like a flexed bicep, has been rooted here since the time of Christ’s ministry on earth. As Jesus walked, taught, and healed, this tree was quietly growing.

If you’ve spent any time in the Gospels, you know that the way of Jesus brings both personal salvation and social healing. It is a quiet yet far-reaching revolution of humility, mercy, and tangible acts of redemptive justice standing in stark contrast to our current political climate. To tie the name of Jesus to inflammatory rhetoric, unapologetic greed, vindictiveness, and distortions of the truth betrays who Jesus is and everything he came to do.

Like the sequoias’ long-term perseverance, the work of social healing requires patient hope. As the 19th century abolitionist Theodore Parker once said and Martin Luther King Jr. adapted, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Gentle giants like these peacemakers leave a legacy that outlasts opposition.

As a white evangelical who has never voted for this administration, I have found myself perplexed, even disillusioned, by the patterns I’m witnessing. But what better place to walk with big feelings than among the world’s largest, oldest trees? Breathing in the sweet herbal oxygen of the grove, I felt as if I had stepped out of man’s chronology and into God’s transcendence, into a sanctuary where eternity brushes against the earthly and reminds us of what and who is truly deserving of reverence. As we live through turbulent times, it will be more vital than ever to visit sanctuaries like this, both physical and metaphorical, to remain grounded.

Drawing strength from God’s creation, people of peace, and the enduring truths of the real good news, we can withstand cultural wildfires. Inspired by the resilience and wisdom of these ancient sequoias and the legacy of peacemakers before us, we can resist hatred, lead with compassion, and plant seeds for new growth. Together, we can stand strong and, hopefully, change the atmosphere.

Where do you find sanctuary or strength when facing turbulent times? What kind of buffers help shield you from burnout or despair?

More Beauty from Yosemite…

Speaking of steady, enduring things, here are just a few of the 187 photos I captured of the awe-inspiring mountains in Yosemite last weekend. Our president, Dorina, a local resident, gave us a tour of her “backyard” and I couldn’t believe the diversity of shape, texture, and color from our first peek into the park at Tunnel View to our last glance of the sunset on the rock face. Each formation, El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, and Cathedral Rocks was recognizable and unique.

Back at our peaceful inn near the park, chef Dorina prepared an amazing menu of meals and led us in thoughtful times of reflection and sharing, setting the table for connection. We spent time in leadership development exploring our strengths and envisioning next steps for the guild.

I’m beginning my third year as Spiritual Life Director for the guild where my team and I facilitate intercessory prayer for authors launching books, creativity cohorts, centering practices, prayer gatherings and celebrations, etc. I am honored to serve with such a thoughtful, vibrant, diverse team of women writers and leaders.

P.S. What are the chances that we’d have a Sarah and a Sara and a Dorina and a Dorena on one team?!!

The Hidden Life of Trees

If today’s musings about sequoias made you want to nerd out even more, you’ll want to find a copy of Peter Wohlleben’s book The Hidden Life of Trees ASAP. A friend who works for a local tree grower shared about the book recently and my awe-meter has clicked up a hundred notches since I borrowed it from the library. Like my friend, I highly recommend the audio version. Wohlleben shares scientific discoveries and personal observations from his years in forestry in a comforting, fairy-tale worthy voice. It’s a great way to wind down at the end of a frenetic day. Also, if anyone’s asking what to get for my birthday this summer, I’ll take the coffee table book. :)

VERDANT

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