Of grapevines and lightbulbs...

Today's Daily Lesson comes from John 15 verses 4 through 6:
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

In his book "Falling Upward" Richard Rohr tells about a meeting he once had with Desmond Tutu. 

"Richard, always remember we are simply the light bulb,"

Tutu told Rohr.

"Our job is to remain screwed in."

All spiritual energy and vitality comes from God. Growth comes from God. Light and life come from God. This is bad news in that it means none of these can be manufactured. It is also good news in that it frees us from the fantasy of ourselves or someone else somehow being able to create vitality on our or their own. This is a prescription for failure, disappointment, and scapegoating.

We are the branches and God is the vine. When the branches do not grow, one of two things must be decided: 1) that either the conditions are not right for growth and need to be changed (soil, water, light, etc have a lot to do with things) or that 2) it is simply not in the branch to grow and therefore the branch needs to be cut off or let go.  For example, we might have to let go of a dream, or a partnership, or an employee or an endeavor.  This is the pruning which happens in our life which helps us grow and produce in the direction God would have us to.

Augustine said that it is in God's nature to give life and it is in our nature to receive it. When life in the vine is not present some find the courage to ask why. This is always difficult and may sometimes be very painful in that it requires work and may even mean difficult pruning. But the result is new life in the vine, and the fruits a better harvest of grapes for the wine.

And the non-Baptists tell me that makes all the difference. 😉

Ryon Price, 2nd Thoughts