A tree is a perennial vascular organism that grows by photosynthesis. As a perennial, a tree lives through many growing seasons by surviving harsh environmental conditions. Vascular means that a tree has an extensive root system that connects to its branches to make fruit. Organism simply means that a tree is a living thing. Photosynthesis is how a tree grows by converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into food for itself to grow and oxygen for the world. Each one of these characteristics directly mirrors our faith in botanical epistemology, which is the study of justified belief, relating to plants.
The tree gives us a perfect image of our faith and how it grows, that we can study and learn from and put into practice. As explained, perennial means a plant grows through many seasons, likewise our faith can survive and thrive through and despite many different seasons of life, regardless of how harsh the conditions may be. Our faith is vascular because it has an extensive root system, which is symbolized by our understandings (commonly described as beliefs). This root system is connected to a branch system which stands for our actions. Just like a tree cannot exist without both roots and branches, our faith cannot exist without both understanding and corresponding actions. Our faith is like an organism, because it is a living thing, which means while it can stay dormant for a season, it will persist and grow again as long as it's alive.
