3-20-19 - Fruitful

(You can listen to this reflection here.)

It is fashionable in corporate and non-profit circles to talk about markers of effectiveness, data-driven strategies, measurable goals and outcomes. Jesus used one word for all of that: fruitful. “Each tree is known by its fruit,” he taught. (Luke 6:44). “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 7:19). “No branch can bear fruit by itself." (John 15:4b). “I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” (John 15:16b).

And in this week's parable:
‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.’

Anytime we want to evaluate our effectiveness as bearers of Christ and ministers of the Good News, there’s our criterion: are we bearing fruit, good fruit, fruit that will endure? That can be a highly subjective determination – sometimes there’s lots of fruit, but not where we’re looking, or it’s not yet ripe, or doesn’t look like good fruit. And sometimes we think we’re rolling in fruit – as when numbers are up – and it turns out there isn’t much depth of transformation going on.

The marker of good fruit I look for is this: Are lives being changed? Are people turning their hearts God-ward and becoming less reliant on their own strength in the traps and pitfalls life throws our way? Are they becoming more gentle, more generous, more gracious? Are they less tolerant of injustice and inequity, and quicker to right a wrong?

Three years ago, when I reflected on this passage, I saw little "fruit" in my church ministry; I wondered whether all my activity was yielding any transformation at all. A few months later, I was transplanted into a vastly different vineyard in Washington DC. This year, in my current ministries, I’m seeing wonderful growth in numbers, spiritual engagement and missional endeavors; the fruit seems too abundant to count. Yet either way, I am just a farm worker, helping to plant, weed, water and shade. The fruit itself is up to the Gardener, who has different strategies to try with unfruitful trees.

When you look around your life, what feels fruitful? 

Where are you making God connections?  How are you growing in faith?
And what feels stunted and not growing? Can you have a conversation with God about that?

We can count fruit all we want - it's not really until we take a bite that we know if it’s any good. As tempting as it is to measure ourselves and others by worldly standards, only God is entitled to judge us. God might prune our branches or dig around us, but we can be sure s/he is invested in our bearing beautiful and abundant fruit.

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