Yesterday we reflected on how we are chosen by Christ. We are not only chosen but also entrusted with a mission to go out and bear lasting fruit. It seems to me that it is a kind of paradox. We are invited to go out to the world while remaining in Christ.
It is an invitation that is both marvelous and challenging. How do I remain deeply connected in and attentive to the one who dwells within and respond to the needs of the world around me?
It demands living a reflective life. To be discerning about how I spend my time and energy.
Is what I am doing today something that is of lasting value? It doesn’t necessarily mean we need to be doing something dramatic. It is more in our daily faithfulness to our call as a mother or father, as a daughter or son; in the way we approach the work we do; in how we respond to the person we encounter in need as we move through the day.
Noticing at the end of a day, or a week: "Have Christ and I been labouring together – bringing new life into the world in moments of creativity, of care, of seeking connection with those who may feel disconnected?" Observing whether my endeavours are leading to a deepening sense of life in Christ and a positive impact in the world. Where it is the latter, there
will be a sense of a joint mission. Where I have become distracted by my own superficial desires for success I may notice that I am not remaining at home in Christ and moving intentionally with him into my day.
Little by little in quiet moments of faithful response we sow seeds that may grow into trees and bear fruit - and those trees in turn will release seeds and so, far beyond the span of our own lives there will be fruit that we cannot begin to imagine.
