Apricots, apples, peaches, grapes, watermelon, tomatoes,
kiwi, wheat, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self control, is a brief list of what we can call fruit. Fruit is
the fulfillment, or culmination of the processes of life and the source of
reproductive ability.. The first part of this list we would call natural fruit,
the next part the Bible calls Òfruit of the Spirit.Ó We can also called these
last fruits, Òfruit of specific revelation.Ó In English we see that fruit can
serve both in the singular and the plural tense.
This week we will look at the context of these spiritual
fruits spoken of in Galatians, essentially Chapter 5:22-6:10; to glean some
depth of this biblical discussion as it relates to applications of natural
enterprise of our worldly work. This is in part a response to some thoughts I
have created from an email from Dan Bushy, serving in Asia, discussing his need
to adapt leadership development
programs to fit the circumstances and appropriateness of the churches growing
in that area. In part, it also
naturally grows out of what I am trying to develop in conjunction with the
Little Dalles facility.
Notice first of all, that fruit is the end. In that
sense, not only naturally as the cumulation of the growth cycle, but also in
description. Just try describing the flavor of fruit and you are left at a loss
for words, Apricots taste like apricots, peaches like peaches, love is love,
and peace is peace. If you have not really experienced the fruit, you really
cannot understand, nor if you have experienced the fruit can you really explain
the savor to one who has never tasted its goodness. Sure, there are good
tasting vine ripen fruit, with a flavor that is wonderful and intense, and
there is the supermarket variety, that reminds one of eating sawdust, without
the taste.
Also realize that in the growth cycle, fruit is something
that comes about naturally. It is one of the miracles of life and is generated
in kind. Grape vines grow grapes. Apple trees produce apples. Love produces
love and gentleness, gentleness. Love does not produce apples, nor do
watermelon vines.
In the biblical passage before our referenced area, Paul
describes what could be called the Òbad fruit of the flesh,Ó in contrast with the
good, or desirable Òfruit of the Spirit.Ó In natural plant husbandry, this is
where the grower comes into account. Wild apple trees generally become fuel for
the fire, or the smoke house. The cultivated, or cultivators produce only the
desired varieties. These fruit, the result of pruning, much more severe than
those not familiar with orchard practices can visualize, produce our desired
product. FruitÕs highest and best flavor produced when fresh picked and
consumed fully ripe. This is good.
After describing the fruit of the Spirit, Paul then
describes the growth process that produces this spiritual fruit. That is
essentially, here and elsewhere in the Bible, good works. Good works produce
good fruit. Just as in the natural orchard, a good apricot tree will produce
good apricots. The Biblical good works are really much more limited than those
we generally attribute to good works however. Because of that lack of pruning
on our part the flavor of produce is again limited. Good works are really at
the onset derived from ÒGod works,Ó our Old English derivative. In this section
Paul admonishes the readers to help others and to help ourselves in various
ways. In this way we are used by God to prune others and to prune ourselves.
But then Paul seems to change his metaphor and begins to
talk about the sowing of seeds. Sowing to the flesh produces a crop that reaps
corruption, but sowing to the Spirit reaps everlasting life. Now this is where
this simple story adds the depth that we can only begin to vaguely understand.
Inside of all fruit are seeds for reproduction. At least that was the case
until we started to play around with natural growth and to vegetatively graft
seedless characteristics, Seeds carry the information necessary to reproduce
each according to its kind. Apple seeds reproduce apple trees and not apple
vines. Watermelons produce herbaceous vines and not woody watermelon trees. But
again we play a role in the genetic pollination or grafting process to produce
our desired attributes. Many times breeding in certain desirable
characteristics, and loosing others in the process.
The discussion around genetically altered plants and
animals going on in this country and around the world is a furtherance of this
principle on a monumental scale.
The genetic code is by many orders of magnitude the most complex
information source in the universe. Altering specific genes is a complex form
of chemotherapy promoted by corporate agribusiness as a means to continue
energy dependent monoculture, or cancer model, agriculture. Since the abuse of
herbicides and pesticides is no longer a desired consumer option, these
companies are desiring to produce monetary gain by manipulating the complex
genetics of plants and animals, without knowing or caring about the
consequences of these manipulations. We are beginning to produce nonproductive
or sucker stems at this point, so we will have to prune off this discussion.
This brings us to infruit, or the information component
of all fruit. What is really going on, that which reproduces itself is what we
are looking for. In the application of enterprise, that relates to what is
really contained in the seeds of that enterprise we are planting. Looking at
the list of fruit we have selected at the beginning, we see that only the
wheat, is what could be called a naked seed. All the rest have a fleshly
component. In natural fruit, it could be said that this natural addition has
the purpose of providing a certain amount of organic fertilizer to the seed
growing process. As far as the Spiritual fruit, you can be your own judge. The
wheat seed however,along with all the rest of the seeds have a nutrient source
associated with the seed to promote the growth of the genetic information sequence
until such time as the plant is established and able to produce its own food.
Seed capital is what is generally known as the financial
flesh, along with an amount of human inspiration and work that provides the
fertilizer for a productive enterprise. But it is still the quality of the
information supplied in the genetics of the enterprise that will make it a
viable fruiting body. Now Paul makes it clear in this passage that there are
really two kinds of information provided by seeds. Seeds that produce fleshly
abundance and corruption, and seeds that produce good, or Godly, or spiritual
fruit as described above. Our enterprise model comes from creation, it is just
highly simplistic, but is part of our endowed creative ability, highly limited
by inherited sinful genetic and related information
Now using this specific infruit information we have just
produced, we have created the infruit of a potential enterprise. It is one
thing to read this on a computer screen, but normally, or naturally, this
should be developed into a brochure, a seminar, or some type of program in
hopes of reproducing this information into a productive enterprise. We have
changed the virtual in to reality.
However,the information itself, is just a small part of the seed, and
the seed as a small component of the fruit, is normally discarded. And the
fruit itself, the fleshly part, is the desirable end that has a taste, flavor,
and savor, unique to its own kind, and even its own variety. The fleshly part
is what we spend our time and money to obtain. But, for lack of more
descriptive words, the good fleshly part, is a really gift of GodÕs grace given
to us through His creation. It just grows.
Therefore we see a potential application of reproducible
leadership. Fruit of Godly leadership is not taught it must be experienced,
like vine ripened cantaloupe. And while that verbal or written information is
useful, it is perhaps best apprehended sitting in the shade of a tree eating
itÕs fruit. That is as valid for cherries under a cherry tree, or bananas under
a banana tree. In a way it is so simple that anyone of any educational level
can understand, but is as complex as the diversity of all life. Fruit grows
best on trees planted for good, or Godly purpose, and they must be trimmed and
pruned not only by God, but good, and godly gardeners to produce their best.
Once apprehended, fruit can be produced on the internet, working in
construction, planting a church, being the President of the United States, or a
whole host of other God given enterprise uniquely planned and purposed by God
for each of His children. The problem is that many times we focus on stuff that
the world proposes for earthly benefit. But Paul best summarizes our part best
in Chapter 6, verse 10: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
all, especially to those who are in the household of faith.
As far as I understand we are to the point where we could
go over and buy the Little Dalles property and begin related work. However, I
learned last week trying to save a few bucks, that my ability to carry this out
in my own strength is impossible. Focusing upon the direct situation of
obtaining the property, potential ways to make an offer can be structured in
different ways for at least $200,000 and perhaps the whole sum. That
information, while it may be planted in my brain, has not sprouted as of this
writing. Please intercede for that seed, or the fleshly fertilizer to be
brought forth from God, so that the savor be manifest to GodÕs glory. Continue also
to intercede as last week, for the special people, the special fruit, to make
this enterprise a reality.