Religion in the City: By Their Fruit

Ms J recently spoke up in a homeless prayer support group I was running, “Don’t tell me you’re a Christian, show me you’re a Christian!”

Explaining to the group how many counselors, organizations and churches tell her how Christian they are but then treat her like a problem to be fixed, a number, or an issue to be eradicated. Everyone in the group had stories about churches where they had been invited to be fed or given clothing. Churches where those same people would not sit with them during service or talk after church.

However, as I probed, everyone in the group had stories of wonderful Christian people who had affected their lives in powerful ways. One man told of a school teacher who would come to his section 8 parents home and take his family to Christian concerts. One young woman had a vivid story about an elder woman in her church who held her all night when her brother was shot.

“There is a difference between someone who gives you their old clothes or a dollar to shut ya up, and someone who cares enough to want to get to know you!”

The group conquered with Ms. J, saying that you can tell in someone’s eyes if they respect you. They all had stories about people who call themselves Christian’s or teachers. I explained there are biblical ways that the Church told us we could delineate a Prophet from a false Prophet.

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matt 7:15-16)

We are all lost sheep at different points in our lives. There are many people who are going to want to be your teachers, guides and prophets. They may look nice, and have beautiful words, works and things to give you. Determining the Sheppard from the Wolf is a matter of looking past the person’s works to their fruits.

The fruit is much different than the work. A work is what someone does or says; a fruit is what comes from who someone is. To bear fruit a tree must be well rooted, it must have firm branches and be nourished from the light of the sun. Yet, no matter how beautiful the tree, where it is placed, or how well it is tended, the quality of the tree’s fruit is a gift of God. The tree itself has very little control of the quality of the fruit it bears. The person who eats the fruit determines the fruit’s quality or usefulness.

Buddhist priest Madhyamika teaches, “things have identity only in relation to each other.” His thought is that the student creates the teacher. The follower creates the leader. The quality of a prophet is determined by the fruit the follower observes.

This week in your churches, synagogues or bible studies take the time to note the fruits which are born from your leaders and teachers. Do they grant grace, peace, hope in their life as a Christian, spiritual director, minister, priest, rabbi or congregant?

Don’t ask what the tree looks like, where it is placed or how tall it reaches. Ask if the fruit it bears feeds you and the world.

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photo credit: beta karel