The New Life

Ken Collins writes, To be caught up in such a story, then, to be engaged in this matchless narrative, is an invitation to discovery and transformation, to a new way of being, to participating in what is nothing less than a new world, an enchanting world, one that is full of light precisely because God is light.

I ask, “What does it all mean? “

Scripture has a beautiful way of meeting us where we are. To the child, the words are simple, the meaning unclouded by preconceptions. To the simple-minded person, what is plain in the text suffices. To the robust seekers, the deep meanings of God’s word emerge from the text to be found like some lost treasure. To the wandering and troubled person, the truth between the bindings acts like a tripwire, readying the soul for enlightenment through God’s mysteriousness. God has His way. He knows our nature and His word is our path back to Him, to become a child of God.

In the liturgy of the Church there is a prayer of confession and repentance. This prayer takes on the form of asking God to disturb our complacency and praying God will ignite our desire for a more fruitful life serving Him. In the story of God’s transforming grace intimately entwined with our desire to know Him, every day brings us closer to what He created us to be. Though He may seem distant, though we may think we are farther from Him, even think we will never get to where He is taking us, His grace never rests. He wishes to be present with us, for us to be present with Him. To receive Christ begins a journey from complacency to abiding in Him, to Christlikeness.

In John 15, Jesus likens the journey to a vineyard. He says, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me (John 15: 1-4, NKJV).

Every Christian inclined toward a genuine effort to be more Christlike is familiar with pruning. Pruning hurts. Pruning reminds. Pruning severs you from the old life. Like wine produced from the vineyard, taking on the new life takes time.

We are not alone on the journey. We were made to bear fruit. God lifts us, and because we live in Christ, lifting others through the gifts given to us from God becomes fruit. But we must remain in Him. To remain in Him brings to us what He wishes us to know, allows us to understand on many levels His will and character sufficient to bear the fruit He intends, conforms us to Him, Christlike by His hand.