Saguaro National Park: Nurture

Saguaro cacti are perhaps one of the most recognized symbols of the American West. When seen in person,
they are magnificent and imposing – growing over 50 feet tall and weighing up to eight tons. But saguaro are
also very fragile – with sometimes only one seed from a plant surviving to grow (and then it can take up to 10
years to see 2 inches of growth!). A saguaro’s best chance of survival is growing in the shadow of a “nurse
tree” which can provide shade from the desert sun and protection from passing animals. Like the saguaro, we
too depend on others to survive. As a part of the community of God, we are called to give and to receive
nurturing and care. Jesus tells us in Matthew that in order for us to see the realm of God, we must feed the
hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner. Nurturing one
another (friends and strangers alike) is what our faith is all about!