The Christmas Tree Analogy

What are the most important Christian beliefs?

We deal with all sorts of questions all the time as Christians concerning our faith and practice, often from inside the church. We debate all sorts of issues, study all manner of topics, and sometimes even draw battle lines over specific practices or beliefs. The question I asked right at the start is always relevant and important. What we define as the center of the Christian faith is going to have dramatic effects on the rest of our beliefs and practices.

The problem comes when we all try to answer the question. While I'm sure there would be a measure of similarities in our answers I am entirely confident that there would also be a wide array of differences. One of the major issues when it comes to disagreements among Christians concerning matters of faith and practice is that we honestly don't agree about what the most important issues are, though we often don't realize it.

The reality is that some Christian beliefs are more important than others. Often times the issues that grab our attention and get our blood boiling are merely peripheral to the greater Christian tradition, as flashy and current as those issues may be. On the flip side those issues which are most foundational and important are often dismissed as boring or impractical. 

How do we determine which issues are of first importance and which are not? Well, I have an analogy that I find helpful that we are going to break down over the next few weeks; that of a Christmas tree.

A living, growing Christmas tree has four parts that are all connected and interdependent to a degree. First are the roots, then the trunk, third the branches, and finally the ornaments. Each part of the tree represents a part of the Christian faith and life in order of diminishing importance. 

The roots are the most important part of the tree. They give life to whole, anchor the tree through storms and heavy winds, and are the source of nourishment for the whole. If the rest of the tree was cut down, but the roots were strong and deep, the tree could grow back. Theologically the roots are the core, the foundation of the faith. These are the beliefs which are most important and from which the rest of the Christian life grows. Often these are hidden and not discussed despite their vitality.

The trunk is next. The trunk is vital to the health of the tree. The trunk is directly connected to the roots and grows immediately out of them. The bigger and healthier the trunk, which is only possible with strong roots, the more resilient and robust the tree. The trunk represents the major, theological commitments that grow out of the foundation. These are generally broad conclusions about certain things that serve as central to the outworking of those beliefs.

The branches grow out of the trunk. A weak trunk means that there cannot be many branches. The branches fan out and cover a lot of ground, so to speak. The branches represent the outworking of the core theological "trunk" commitments. These are often a lot more noticeable than the trunk and we sometimes forget that the branches we are examining are outgrowths of a more foundational issue.

The final piece of our Christmas tree is the ornaments. These are colorful, flashy, and attention grabbing as they hang on the branches. These are the things that most people focus on, although they are not always the most important. These are the specific situations we find ourselves embroiled in, such as cultural issues or debates within our local congregations. They tend to get the most attention, and then we forget that these ornaments hang on branches which in turn is attached to a trunk which in turn grows from the roots.

As I said earlier we will be examining each part in more detail as the weeks go on. For now, here is an example of the Christmas tree analogy in action and it is often helpful to work our way backwards.

Let's take the issue of "greeting one another with a holy kiss." Hypothetically, let's say this was a discussion going on at your congregation. One group is saying that we should obey the clear biblical command and greet each other by kissing. The other group argues that this is an expression of the specific culture of the time and not binding on Christians today.

This is the ornament. It is a contemporary, specific issue. This issue hangs on the branch of methods of biblical interpretation. How do we interpret the bible? Is the New or Old Testament or both most relevant for Christians? The questions go on.

This branch grows from the trunk theological commitment that the bible is from God and is, in some way, authoritative for our lives today. How authoritative and in what way is another question for this level. This trunk commitment, then, grows out of the core, root belief; God has revealed himself to us.

While possibly confusing at first I have found this analogy to be invaluable in thinking through the different issues and questions we face today. The next few weeks will examine each part of the analogy in detail to help us determine what goes where. I pray that this discussion is helpful.