“Each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes do not come from brambles.” – Luke 6:44
I remember walking on our family farm in Missouri, with my little brother, when we were very young. There is an old abandoned road which runs down the east side of our property line. Our father would take us on walks and point out the interesting spots along “the old road.” He’d point out the wagon wheel ruts, show us left-behind horseshoes, and we’d walk by the old cemetery. He would caution us about the old cellar where our great grandparents’ house had burned down, and he’d say, “Stay away from that pit!” We could still see the crumbled stone walls of the cellar, and an old rusty stove.
There is also a pear tree along the old road, and it was always such a treat to find it full of fruit. I would think about the people who had passed along the road and how a pear might have made their day so much better.
How are we like a pear tree? In Luke 6:44, we read about knowing trees by the fruit they produce. Do we brighten someone’s day when they pass us by? Do we offer strangers a kind word? How are we known in our own neighborhood?
– Logan Fish, Edmond Campus Director of Hospitality
