Bearing Fruit In A Pandemic And Beyond
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Good Lessons Learned While Living With Restrictions
by Eric Elkin
What will be your lasting memory of the COVID-19 restrictions? Several images stick out to me. I enjoyed driving down empty highways. It was fun going to city parks and seeing young families having a picnic together. I enjoyed worshipping with Peggy on the couch.
Perhaps my most enduring memory, though, will be the radical impact of the shutdown on the environment. The reduction in vehicle traffic almost immediately cleaned up the air. Nowhere was this change more apparent than the city of Los Angeles. For decades this urban area was made famous for its smog. Thirty days into quarantine, Los Angeles became as pristine as a remote wilderness.
For the first time in their urban life, city dwellers heard the sweet sound of birds singing. In normal conditions, these songs were drowned out by traffic. The absence of boat activity allowed whales to swim in areas they rarely visit. Overall, there was a sense of calm in the natural world. The healing was beautiful.
Clean air will be my lasting image. I realize going back to normal will not necessarily be healthy. Looking out over the city of St. Paul serves as a reminder. On my morning walks, I see the grey haze of pollution lingering in the air. These walks make me feel like I am locked in the garage with the car running. We can live better than this.
As we start to move back to normal, I find myself starting to grieve what we may lose. The forced shutdown slowed down our living in a good way. Families began spending more time together. Working from home reduced our time sitting in a vehicle idly passing time.
Is it possible to return to normal but retain the good we received from slowing down?
For most of my life, the call to bear fruit was a demand for productivity. Sermons told me not to be an idle Christian. Instead, I should be good, do good and bear much fruit. Perhaps this is a less than faithful interpretation. Vines don’t bear fruit for themselves. The fruits of the vine are for those who pass by looking for a meal.
Being forced to live in a moderate quarantine has taught me to read this verse differently. To abide in God is to seek to live in harmony with the Creator and creation. There is a great healing for all of us when this happens. To bear fruit is to live in a way that helps others to live more abundantly, not just myself.
So, as we return to normal, what can you do to abide in the Creator and creation? And, how can you bear fruit for all to gain life from? COVID-19 has taught us it is a healthy alternative to chaos.
Click to read John 15: 1-8
Reflection Questions:
What positive lessons did you learn during 2020?
How much of these positive experiences depend upon you changing your way of living?
What feels out of your control?
What is one way you can live in harmony with your Creator and creation?