Honestly, when we first meet people who look and sound different from us, what do we really think? Or maybe they look like us on the outside, but hold such polar opposite views from us that they might as well come from another world.  Surely they are not from our branch, vine or tree.  Their manifestation on this earth in no way resembles our own, right?  I bet we could all think of folks who could fit into this category.

Thankfully Barnabus was not deluded by ‘us vs. them thinking’ or Paul would have never gotten the chance to write all those letters to the Colossians, Corinthians, Thessalonians, and to us.  Barnabus was a brave man, welcoming Paul into the fold.  He took a risk and put his life and reputation on the line for this former persecutor, justly earning his name – Son of Encouragement. 

Are we not called to do the same in this Easter season and beyond?  Wasn’t Jesus’ mission aimed at getting us beyond the ‘us vs. them’ attitude?  Didn’t Jesus teach us to welcome the stranger even if he or she was a former persecutor?  So this is a really tall order right?  How do we do it when we are scared, righteously angry and possibly even disgusted by the other?  How do we do it?  Not on our own, that’s for sure! 

We can do only be like Barnabus with the power of the risen Lord coursing through our hearts like revivifying sap.  And we can only get this energy if we stay connected to the Source - Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is in turn deeply connected to his Sources, God the Creator and the Holy Spirit.  And isn’t the essence of these sources all about Love, true Love? The kind of love that allows us to forgive a persecutor, invite them in, encourage them to share their story and include them as part of the solution.

Jesus goes to great lengths to provide us with metaphors and images, which stress our interdependence with one another and him. He did not say, “there are many vines”, rather I am the true vine – there is only one vine and if we live in Christ we are all connected to this one vine and thus to each other.  This is the body of Christ.  Jesus wants us to remember who we are and how he enlivens us all.  We are totally dependent on Christ, not on our smartphones, money or good looks.

You are part of something much bigger than yourself, and growth necessitates pruning.  What is the purpose of the vine, the branches, and the whole plant?  To bear fruit!  And anything which hinders this, has got to go.  Let’s face it, who wants to be pruned?  Not me.  Right now in NY a massive Nor’easter is ripping the branches off the pines and I am so sad.  This is nothing compared to the industrial pruning of the soul God has in mind for you and me.  The fruit we bear in Christ is essential to feed a starving world.  Consider the hungers in our world that this fruit can feed.  Not to mix Johnian metaphors, but Jesus did say to Peter and thus us, “Feed my Sheep”.  With this fruit of the Spirit of love we are able to feed people to satiate the true hungers of our time.

Jesus promises us that abundant life is not in some far off place in the future, but rather here now.  His presence is permanent and has the power to open new possibilities.  Just think of what some of these may be.  We are invited to be part of a new reality, to bear fruit for a starving world.

So what are you waiting for?  Get growing!  The world is hungry.

I would like to invite you to listen to this song, We Have Been Told by David Haas and let the Spirit speak to you.