Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. What are the good fruits? Kindness, unity, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, community. What are bad fruits? Dissension, division, hatred, resentment, selfishness. One of the great curiosities of the current political scene in the United States, and around the world as well, is how those who wrap themselves in the mantle of Christianity don’t mind the bad fruits that are rife in society. One would think that there were would an attempt to find ways to produce good fruits but instead what we find is justification for the presence of bad fruits in the name of some cause or issue. But as Jesus makes clear, not producing good fruits should be the occasion to look at the “tree,” the source of one’s fruits. If the end in view is to get people to conform to my way of thinking, good fruits will not result. If, on the other hand, the end is to join together in loving trust and concern to discern what God is asking of us at this moment, then good fruit will be produced.
JUNE252025
By Church Staff
