‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Reflection
I don’t know – but this all seems to be a bit ‘black and white’ for me. It’s as though there’s something of a binary position here and surely that can’t be right? It seems too simplistic for me. I mean, can a good person not do bad things? Can a bad person not do good things? Can you not do the right thing but for the wrong reasons? Or vice versa?
And where does this passage leave me? A human being with faults and failings but, also I like to think, some good points too. I’ve done wrong things – does that mean I’m all bad? What about the good things I’ve done? There’s a lot of talk about companies being ‘carbon neutral’ – they’ll plant trees to offset some of the environmental damage their operations have caused or something similar.
To be honest; that’s the best I can hope for. To be ‘neutral’ with the good counterbalancing the bad. If I can tip the scales on the side of ‘good’ then so much the better.
Just try not to catch me on a off-day, eh?
I’m going to make mistakes. So forgive me when they happen. My life can’t be black and white, help me to be a lighter shade of grey. Amen
Today’s Writer
Leo Roberts is the Children and Youth Development Officer for the North Western Synod
St. Andrew's United Reformed Church - The United Reformed Church in Monkseaton and Whitley Bay
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
