So, what is your favorite fruit?? I know, it can depend on the season, but generally speaking, what is your favorite fruit. I’m a peach guy. I really love a good peach. But I also like strawberries, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, raspberries, and so much more. My everyday go to fruit is that of an apple, a good crisp apple, maybe with a touch of tartness to it. I also really like pineapple, pears, apricots, oranges and grapefruit – I especially like tart grapefruit. I like watermelon, kiwi, cherries, etc. I guess you could say I am a big fan of fruit. And generally speaking, fruit is healthy and good for you.
Now I know there are some people that have physical conditions in which their system can’t tolerate fruit, thus it isn’t good for them. But those conditions and people are rather rare. Generally speaking, fruit is good for us.
Even the Bible speaks of fruit. Yes, the Bible mentions fruit that was common in Jesus’ day. But fruit is also described as the product of a lifestyle or a way of living. In fact, the Apostle Paul talks about the “Fruit of the Spirit.” These are the positive qualities and life traits that emanate from a person’s life as one who follows Jesus.
In his book “What If Jesus Was Serious” Skye Jethani mentions what he feels is sometimes viewed as a “new” fruit of the Spirit, as defined by our culture today. He writes that “outrage” seems to be the newest Fruit of the Spirit for our age. To be noticed, listened to, or taken seriously in our world, Jethani indicates that outrage is almost a requirement. Social media, news articles, interviews, and even everyday conversations often seem fueled by anger and outrage.
Honestly, it is easy to understand why outrage seems so “common” in our day. There is much in our world that troubles us. There are real injustices, real hurts, real concerns, real moral issues, and real problems all around us. At times, outrage is understandable…even called for. Yet outrage was never listed by Paul as evidence of the Spirit’s work within the life of a follower of Jesus.
And just to be clear, Jethani believes that outrage, though popular in our day, is NOT a Fruit of the Spirit. In fact, he focuses in, as we all should, on Paul’s list that he shares in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control.” NRSV
That list still stands.
The louder and more “outraged” our culture becomes, the more important these qualities become. A world overflowing with outrage does not need more shouting Christians. It needs followers of Jesus whose lives bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It needs Christians who can speak truth without hatred, conviction without cruelty, and disagreement without disregard or contempt. Outrage may attract attention for a moment, but the fruit of the Spirit has the power to change hearts, heal relationships, and reflect Christ to the broken world around us. And that is something our world truly needs.
So, while our culture may try to add a new fruit to the list, I think I’ll stick with Paul’s original basket of fruit.
Pastor Keith