Be Fruitful
“So by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7: 20)
An orchard laden with apples or peaches is beautiful. Up close, ripeness envelopes our senses. Here is life in abundance. For trees to bear good fruit, many things matter. Roots suck up water, insects pollinate, people prune. Human efforts accompany the labor of nature. We work together. Many sources of a good harvest are hidden from view.
The marketplace can be raucous. There are tricksters who peddle phony fruit. What sounds good may lack substance. So, we read labels and ask questions. We peel off slick wrapping to taste what lies within. Untangling the genuine takes work. Truth does not gather like dew on the grass. We must strive to understand our world.
Looking back at the day, what fruit have I borne? It varies. Often, in the grip of duty, I check off tasks and compose tomorrow’s list. Duty keeps its laser beam on me. Sometimes this grip loosens. Feelings and sensations return; I recall interruptions, surprises, and the look on another’s face. My deeds fade. What touches me at the core is the warmth and certainty of being loved just as I am. The day’s good fruit leads to gratitude.
It is hard to believe in a God that does not grade us. It is hard to believe in love that is indifferent to our achievements. How can the motley me be just as precious as the scrupulous me, who seeks perfection?
God embraces us just as we are. No transactions. No checklist. This kind of love is bewildering. What sense does it make? In wonder we come home. Here we glimpse what might be.
God, give us the faith of Abraham. Help us to believe in your enduring and constant love. These days, troubles abound. Many dwell in fear. Contempt is showcased as virtue. Deception and violence are on the rise. Help us to see clearly and act wisely. With your guidance, may our efforts bear fruit.
Jeanne Schuler
We live in the city near the university with our three children, so work and family form almost a whole…but not a seamless whole. Family, faith, work, old neighborhoods, leftist (leftover) politics, and enough community are my measures of reality. Also, a good dog named Sid.
Scripture has depths missing from other forms of wisdom. This is closer to the ground we walk on.
