Fruitful in all seasons

‘… I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit’. (John 15:16)

John 15:9-17 (Year B: Easter 6)

Always fruitful..

Fruitfulness is the result of following Christ. If only we trusted at the outset of our lives He would lead us in ways that we might never have imagined in our wildest dreams.  And it is never too late to say yes and trust in his love no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in.

There is an unhelpful trend and characteristic in our culture of relegating persons over a certain age to a state of ‘retirement’.  It is almost a matter of ‘what is the point’, ‘he or she is too old’, ‘time for him to move on’ etc. This mentality is not only apparent in the way people are required to stop ‘working’ at a fixed age consistent with life expectancy in Germany in the 19^th century when the late Otto Bismark introduced the modern pension!  The mentality is also apparent in such diverse fields as education, health care and volunteering. Some wonder and question about the gains from investing in someone whose life expectancy is such as not to warrant an investment of time and money.  ‘Lifelong learning’ is spoken of as crossing from cradle to grave but is often confined to the ‘working life’ of someone fixed as spanning 20 to 65 or a little more. 

This is regarded as a fixed point after which it is ‘time to move on’. However, length of days, health and better opportunities for travel, education and exploration mean that our notions of ageing, retirement and winding down need radical revision.  God calls men and women at all stages of life to things that may commonly be regarded as impossible or even unwise. We need to re-think the assumptions, values and mind-sets of our time. The key to God’s call is to remain in his love through mutual love.

A narrow-based calculation of benefits net of cost over a remainder of a lifetime may induce a ‘retirement mentality’ both among the retired as well as those make sure others retire. But, is this calculus the way God sees matters?

We are living longer….(on average)

Even the psalmist declares that ‘Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong.’ (Psalm 90:10). 70 to 80 years would have been exceptional 2,500 years ago but not today in much of the world (excepting Methuselah who – according to Genesis 5:27 lived to be 969 years of age – just disappointingly 31 years short of 1,000 although in deference to the author(s) of Genesis it must be admitted that the notion and term of ‘year’ might have been defined differently in ancient societies!).  Indeed, some analysts expect that babies born today can expect to live into their nineties if the maintain reasonable health such are the improvements in health care, nutrition and other factors.  Hopefully, bar some environmental or political calamity or a further escalation in obesity, most babies born today will have the opportunity for a long and very fruitful life. But, in keeping with fruitfulness at all stages of the lifecycle there are opportunities for all of us no matter what age or condition of life we find ourselves in.  A person incapacitated and highly dependent may be able to offer a smile, a word of encouragement, a word of wisdom, a listening ear or a quiet prayer. Even when this is not possible due to bodily or mental infirmity the very presence of someone, now incapacitated, who evokes memories of kindness, wisdom and practical support is a blessing for others.

The story of the vine once again..

This Sunday’s passage from the 15^th chapter of St John’s Gospel follows on from the story of the vine and the vinedresser last week. A single living organism involves many parts living off each other. It also involves indwelling.  The idea of indwelling and mutual dwelling – the Father in the Son and the Son and the Father in us as we live in each other united in a single love is a powerful one.  It is based on a love that goes beyond mere sentiment or philosophy. It is a practical, living and never-ending concern for each other and ourselves that moves us to think, act and move as members of the one body (or the one Vine to use that parable). We need only remember one simple and overriding truth in all our searching and struggling: ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:16). As a direct consequence ‘whoever lives in love live in God and God in him’. Believing that God is love and acting out this love in a practical way as part of a Christian community of believers and strugglers is our passport to fruitfulness.  In this way we discover our true calling and we are indeed equipped and called to be fruitful where we are and, perhaps, in other places too.

Joy is the fruit..

The result of all our seeking and all our yearning and all our serving is joy; not just any old joy but that fullness of joy that God alone can give for Jesus says these things to us again today, here, now that His joy may be in us and that Joy may be complete (15:11). Joy is the fruit of our discipleship amidst many trials and tribulations; not only the fullness of joy but peace (John 16:33) and the fullness of life (John 10:10)  also.

Through following in the way marked out by Jesus, the Face of God, we experience a quiet inner peace and joy.   And ‘the fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.’ (Isaiah 32:17).  In that unmistakable lasting quietness and confidence will be your light, your guidance and your decision.

Joy, peace and life – these are the fruits of true discipleship. And we can experience these fruits at any time in our lives if we are open to these.  In living as disciples we can be channels of joy, peace and life for others.