Similarities of children and vines

Matthew 18:1-5 and John 15:1-5

          In looking over the readings for today I found some similarities. What is similar about vines and children? What are their characteristics?  First, children are constantly growing and changing. One of the ways people have described children is that they are like sponges, soaking up information and learning at an amazing pace. This is a good thing and it should not be limited to youth. A vine also is constantly growing and changing. Vines though need to be pruned and nurtured. The mere action of pruning is an action of growth, getting rid of the bad and making room for the new. It really isn't that different from the growth of a child.

         I think it is quite telling that we are called to be childlike and told we are a part of the vine.  We need to be constantly learning and growing if we are to stay alive and well. We need to grow or we are automatically and assuredly on the road to death. One might argue than a lack of growth is death.  We can see this in some old fogie who harps on the good old days so much they aren't living in the present anymore. Adaptation and change are hallmarks of creation, of God's creation. Part of the growth, especially as adults, is pruning. Often scarred by the world and imperfections, we need to assess our good and bad points, and try to excise or prune away the bad parts. In so doing we have new growth and progress towards wholeness which is one of our purposes here on earth.

           The day I announced to myself out loud that I am gay, I was ecstatic. The joy was palpable and so much that made me feel incomplete made me feel whole. I had been searching my entire life, even if subconsciously, I searched for wholeness. One could easily think that once I came out, all was accomplished as if being gay was the completion of my wholeness. It is not so for anyone. It certainly is a major portion of who I am and who many people are. The fact that it remains hidden and tortured by society often makes it loom larger than it should be. Perhaps that is the essence of gay pride and equality. We want our 'gayness' to be a matter of fact part of who we are.  But for myself, however large coming out was, it only serves as perhaps a major step in my journey to wholeness. Being gay does not make me a better person in and of itself.  My journey continues. I still must grow, still must 'prune' myself and especially let God prune me.

           The call to be childlike is integral to us all and the need to prune and grown is also integral to us all. No one escapes these needs lest we whither and die. Lets we think it is a burden, remember how much fun it is to be a child. How much fun children have playing, filled with awe and surprise at creation and at learning every little and big thing God has prepared for us. The joy of a new toy yields perhaps to the joy of a personal relationship. The pruning can be physical and mental. We feel the joy of excising flab and the great feeling after a vigorous workout in spin class. We also know how great it feels to excise old dead gray matter and stretch our minds. All of this and perhaps even some playing with Lego's as an adult too, is part of growing and being a living child of God.

        This serves as a reminder to me to exercise my personal motto in reference to growth:  work hard, play hard, pray hard.

Matthew

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

John

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.