excerpt from Dictionary of the Khazars

“…I thought of the tree Halevi mentions in his book on the Khazars. I thought how each and every one of us is just such a tree: the taller we grow toward the sky, through the wind and rain toward God, the deeper we must sink our roots through the mud and subterranean waters toward hell.” Dictionary of the Khazars (Male Version) by Milorad Paviç

The imagery in this passage amazes me and the fact that it is so personal and at the same time so universal makes it even more compelling to me.