Winter
pruning serves a variety of purposes, from establishing new plants to rejuvenating
tired old shrubs; from training a fruit tree to grow against a wall, to encouraging
a bigger harvest; from removing disease to promoting health.
Recently,
a friend, somewhat beating themselves up for not always being loving and kind regardless
of circumstances, asked me, “But aren’t Christians supposed to be always
bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit?” [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, Galatians 5;22, 23]. I
responded no: we are called to be fruitful, but not to bear fruit continuously;
even the tree of life bears its fruit on a monthly, i.e. not continuous, cycle
[Revelation 22:2]. Lasting fruitfulness requires times of pruning, resting, and
new growth between each harvest.
What
is the divine gardener pruning in you, and in your community, this Advent?