Three Ways to Cultivate Your Christian Faith

Repent, Reconcile, Renew
[Jesus said,] “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" (Luke 13:5)

“[The gardener] said to [the orchard owner] in reply, ‘Sir, leave [the barren fig tree] for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:8-9)

Jesus reminds us that we are all sinners who are called to repent. No one suffers more because of any greater sin; it is not a competition. All of us are called to repent no matter our sins. For those of us who resist, however, and fail to repent, God does not force himself into our lives. We have to choose his love. When we don’t, the result is emptiness. And we don’t have to look far to see the many empty lives around us, lives exchanging the love of God for the mad grab of material items, selfish behavior, and avarice.

The fig tree of Luke 13 is a metaphor illustrating Christian discipleship. God the Father is the orchard owner, and Jesus Christ is the gardener. All of us, like the barren fig tree, are given a second chance to repent and bear good fruit in our lives, the fruit of love and forgiveness. But we must first choose Jesus, his love, way, truth, and life. It is through this choice, and the grace God gives us to make it, that we, too, are given a second chance. Jesus gives us his Spirit, and the Spirit works in us to cultivate our soil, fertilizing it to bear the fruit of his love.

This weekend, I had the renewing experience of the sacrament of Reconciliation. In my faith tradition, I can make a choice to prayerfully examine my conscience, after which I go to a priest to confess any shortcomings, bad choices, and sticking points in my life that get in the way of my relationship with Jesus. For the non-Catholic, this probably sounds excruciating and unnecessary. But I have found this sacrament to be a rich, renewing experience. Reconciliation is a time of cultivation; it is a time when the Spirit works in us to show us the path of Christian love. It is humbling, gives a sense of peace, and guides the penitent to a physical point of repentance. Many Protestants experience this feeling, too. At traditional services, the minister leads the congregation in a prayer of repentance and forgiveness at the start of the worship. When we reflect, ask for forgiveness, and are absolved, we experience a beautiful moment of spiritual cultivation. It is a moment when we can push “reset” in our lives and invite God’s grace to transform us into agents of self-giving love.

Jesus extends us an invitation to eternal life of love with him. All we have to do is choose -- choose to reflect, repent, ask for forgiveness, and follow the Spirit of God’s love. I pray that we all make that choice. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Stan