good hearts, good fruit

You are a manipulator when you try to persuade people to do something that is not in their best interests but is in yours. You are a motivator when you find goals that will be good for both sides, then weld together a high-achieving, high-morale partnership to achieve them.

                               Alan Loy McGinnis

 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

                               Paul (Letter to the Galatians, Chapter 6)

 

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail.

                               Proverbs 22:8

 

You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

                               Jesus, as quoted by Matthew (7:16-18)

____________________________

 

my mother

who was a force of nature

all wrapped up in a feisty little package (5’ maybe)

 

was a doer

she rarely talked about feelings

 

but she felt deeply

and she lived her feelings

she lived her heart

 

she gave of herself in a plethora of ways

serving her family

her church

her community

 

when I was headed off into “the bigger” world

she took a moment to give me

a rare piece of advice

 

“Stephen Paul, if you want to be happy

 work to make other’s happy”

 

I have not always followed her advice

seeking at times to full my cup

with power, or accomplishments

or affluence

 

but she was right

it has been in service to others that I have found

my deepest joy

 

I cannot help but think about this

as I watch the whole of creation “groan in pain” (Romans 8)

 

as I watch the virus creep

as I watch protests unfold

as I see the pain of hundreds of thousands of deaths

and the pain of injustice and inequality

 

as I see pain piled on pain piled on pain

and then see

instead of a healing, restoring servanthood

 

essential selfishness

 

I see leaders manipulating and not motivating

I see people refusing to wear masks, and refusing to distance

Simple acts of kindness

 

I see people in big trucks carrying big guns

seeking to intimidate and silence

I see people, sharing their pain (not always in wise ways)

and that pain being used to create more pain (manipulation again)

 

and that tells me one thing

that we have some badly damaged hearts

 

The scriptures are very clear

the things we say

the things we do

reveal our hearts

 

this is complicated

because there are those moments of acute pain

and, perhaps, acute fear

that cause us at times to behave in ways that are not good

wounded hearts are not always bad hearts…. but

 

I see a fundamental difference between people who protest racism

and act out of the pain of a history of discrimination and injustice

 

and people with power and privilege

who do things that are oppressive, intimidating, divisive and destructive

 

As I sit here

in my isolated rural county

far from much of the chaos

 

and as I watch the events unfold

I am going with Jesus

and with James Joyce, an acute observer of humanity

who said

“the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts”

 

I am watching what people say

I am watching how they respond to the pain of others

I am watching to see who is “for others” and who is “for self”

I am watching to see who unites and who divides

Who calms, and who incites

 

I am looking for good fruit

For by their fruits we will know them

I am looking for good fruit

For motivators not manipulators

 

And I know, that no matter how tempting it is

to go with domination, and power

to side with wealth

 

that if we sow greed, and injustice

we will reap calamity,

and we will fail

 

In this time, in this world

with its pandemic, with the economic collapse, with the cultivated violence

we must look for people with good hearts

 

and we must have good hearts

 

As Paul implores

 

“let us not grow weary of doing good,

for in due season we will reap,

if we do not give up”