November 8: Snake Plant Puzzle

Rooted in Identity

The sansevieria, more commonly known as the snake plant, is one of the most resilient and beautiful house plants. While serving in Savannah, I visited Sister Rose and was

Sharon Campbell-Danvers 

captivated by her snake plant. She generously planted a portion of it and presented me with a thriving specimen of my own. From the very beginning, I cherished this gift, and in time my plant began to grow and produce more shoots.

Eventually, I decided to repot the new growth and prepare some for the church. As I researched further, I discovered that it was also possible to propagate the snake plant by cutting its leaves. Excited by this, I carefully cut several leaves, divided them, and replanted them. Before long, I had ten pots of new snake plants growing beautifully. Yet I noticed something unusual. Unlike the parent plant, these new plants had no yellow markings. They looked entirely different.

At first, I thought perhaps they needed more sunlight, so I relocated them. But the change did not alter their colour. After careful research, I found the explanation: the DNA of the snake plant is carried in its roots, not in its leaves. When you propagate the leaf, you lose the characteristics of the parent. Only when the root is used will the new plant fully carry the identity of the original.

This spoke deeply to me. Our true identity is not carried in outward appearance, achievements, or fragments of ourselves. It is rooted in the core of who we are—in Christ. The Scriptures remind us in Colossians 2:6–7: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Just as the snake plant must be propagated from its root to remain true to its variety, so must we be rooted in Christ if we are to carry the fullness of His life and likeness.

There are many who try to duplicate the Christian life through imitation or outward effort, much like cutting and planting a leaf. It may grow and look healthy for a while, but without being rooted in Christ, the true spiritual DNA is missing. Jesus made this clear in John 15:4–5: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

This lesson from the snake plant reminds us that lasting growth, authentic identity, and spiritual fruitfulness all flow from being connected to the true root. It is not enough to look like we belong to the family of God—we must be grounded in Him. The evidence of who we really are is determined not by our cuttings, but by our roots.

Prayer
Lord, help me to be rooted and grounded in You. Let my life reflect the fullness of Your Spirit, not just an outward likeness. May my identity be firmly anchored in Christ, and may I bear fruit that testifies to my connection with the true root. Keep me abiding in You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.