Fruit of Love

by Tom Gilbert
Published October 23, 2006

Autumn is the time of harvest. The fruits of the field are more prevalent this time of year than any other. The bounty of the harvest is something we celebrate and you can see signs of it all around you. Harvest festivals, farmers’ markets, the preparation of meals that so often become centerpieces of fellowship – these are all acknowledgements of the food of the land.

The fruits of love should be evident among all followers of God and especially so with Christians. The message of Jesus Christ, the Messiah prophesied in the Jewish scriptures, is one of love. It is not just love of self (something we all have an easier time with), but one of love for all God’s creation. Jesus is quoted in the gospel of John as giving us the message from the Father, from God, to love God with all our strength, mind and body and to love others (our neighbors) as we love ourselves. Sadly, this is so often not the case with the very people who claim to be believers and Christians.

How Do We Grow?

How do we grow like a well-fertilized crop to the point of bearing fruit? This is something we must all confront. Are we planted in good soil? Are we allowing God’s grace to rain down on us, providing us the spiritual sustenance that will fill us with love for others, especially those it is hardest to love? In chapter 15 of John’s gospel Jesus tells his disciples that they are all branches of the one true vine. God’s love is the nutrient that spreads through the vines. On our own we are unable to bear the fruit of love. We must be connected to the vine. One of the great mysteries the Christ brings us is that of unity – of being at one with God – and He shows us how. It is through love.

The Spirit of God

The Spirit of God can, and does, surely dwell in us when we accept God’s call on our hearts. The parable of the sower of the seeds tells us that some will hear the message but not accept it, but some will gladly embrace it only to turn away when the cares and worries of the world make it too hard to persevere. Fortunately, there are some who will hear the message and take it to heart and these people will be evident by their love for others. We can all talk about loving others, but unless we truly have love in our hearts expressed in outgoing and unselfish care, concern and compassion for others we will be merely making noise (1 Corinthians 13).

The quest for a meaningful and lasting relationship with God is a spiritual journey that will inevitable be fraught with hardship. This is the test of our love. We must find a way to love despite the way of the world which is so often counter to the teachings of Christ. This is a tall order. If we say we love God but there are people that we make an exception to the law of love then we are not true to the teachings. Jesus makes it clear that God’s commandment is to love. We should not view this commandment as a harsh law. It is the nature of God. To love others is to live as God created us to live. If we don’t choose this way of love we fail to live the abundant life both Jesus and the Father want us to have. And God allows us to choose because of love! To force us to obey is not love.

It's Not Always Logical

Love may not always appear to be the logical choice, but the apostle Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians that it is the most important of all virtues. One of the greatest demonstrations of love from anyone was from the Messiah himself, hanging in agony on a cross and yet refusing to return the spite and hate of those killing him with vengeance, anger or hate. Instead, Jesus transformed all the negativity towards him that day on Calvary Hill and returned only love and forgiveness.

To live a life of spiritual progress that bears the fruit of love is a choice. It is not an easy choice no matter how beautiful and right it sounds. All of us want to be loved. It is much easier to return love from those who love us. It’s not so easy to love when we are hurt, hated or persecuted. I really don’t think any of us is capable of doing that without the help of a loving God (no matter how you conceive of that God or by what name you call it).

I often think one of the most powerful prayers any of us can ever make is “God help me”. God does help, but often not in the ways we hope or expect. God goes deeper, pruning us of our selfishness and asking us to be different from the instincts that cry out for revenge.

The Perfect Way

History has shown us there are brave individuals willing to live a life of love. They have always faced great persecution (often dying for their beliefs) and they’ve had their share of struggles following the way of love. They are not superhuman. They’ve simply persevered and sought God’s help. Yes, it can mean times of loneliness and anguish. But we cannot reverse the tide of hate by anything other than the perfect way of love.

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