My neighbors across the street have a very nice granite pillar for their mailbox and sure enough there is moss growing only on the north side of the pillar. It makes one want to confirm the old survival rule about moss growing only on the north side of trees. Of course that is only in the northern hemisphere in the southern hemisphere moss grows on the south side of trees. Well, maybe that is true in both hemispheres. Moss will grow on any side of a tree depending upon where sunlight strikes it. Sunlight retards the growth of moss and all things being equal the farther away you are from the equator the truer is the old axiom.
One of the things I try to teach my students is to be very careful with the words all and every. Depending upon conditions and circumstances there usually are exceptions to almost everything. Usually moss only grows on the north side of trees. Usually Christians are nice people. Actually that should always be true. No matter whatever someone calls themselves if they are not a nice person they really are not a Christian. They are just pretending to be. And that could be pretending even to oneself.
In Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, . .” Isn’t it bizarre that people often get that concept reversed? This isn’t saying we should not be firm, especially with our children, but it does rule out being nasty. So here is an axiom that is just the reverse of trees. Righteousness only grows on the sunny side of a Christian. That is with Jesus being the light shining on that person.
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 7, 2015
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org