Good things do not flow from bad people
Fifth Sunday of Easter: 10th May, 2009
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's, Eastern Hill
A brief comment about health matters before we begin. Even though we now have a confirmed case of the new H1N1 flu here in Australia, brought in by a traveller returning from the USA, it does seem that our worst fears, at least for the moment, are not being realised. Thank God for that. Though the authorities do speak of the wintry weather we are well and truly moving into providing an easy laboratory for this particular bug, it does not seem to be as virulent as first indicated by early figures out of Mexico. We take each week as it comes I think. Certainly in Mexico, churches like football grounds were and are still closed for the emergency. We might have some time up our sleeve to consider podcasting mass for all of you at home. I'm not too sure though about virtual sacraments.
We have something of a virtual Anglican Communion these days. This last week the Anglican Consultative Council has been meeting in Kingston Jamaica, chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is a representative body of over 60 including bishops, clergy and lay people from the entire Communion — indeed, given that Lambeth and the Primates' Meetings and of course the Archbishop of Canterbury himself are entirely made up of bishops, this is the only one of our so-called 'instruments of communion' that is recognisably representative, in the way that for instance our synods are.
On the top of the ACC agenda this time is consideration of the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant. In one key area of who might be in and who might be out, there is going to be a further 6 months of discussion. That was the news last night. So, a final version will be presented to each of the 30 some provinces of the Communion for consideration at the General Synod level, before the end of this year. Our next Australian General Synod will be held here in Melbourne next year. I am one of the clergy reps for this diocese, and Rachel Ellyard is one of the lay reps. So this parish will be there.
The substantial and bitter divisions that are already happening in North America have not for now been apparent here in Australia — though without question we are all aware of what must be acknowledged to be pretty fundamental variances in approach and understanding of what it means to be an Anglican Christian. It was ever so. A healthy and vigorous St Peter's Eastern Hill can happily stand alongside a healthy and vigorous St Jude's Carlton. People can make their choices — and they do. Our parish vision statement is a clear and exciting expression of where we are and where we would hope to be — so it is both descriptive and aspirational. We warmly welcome any and all who would travel with us, in this community of faith.
One way of doing that is the forthcoming newcomers welcome reception, on the last Sunday of this month. We have had a sequence of these. It is an opportunity to go a bit deeper than is possible with a passing greeting or friendly smile and to find out just what makes this parish tick. Those who are new to this church or who are returning after a time away are most particularly encouraged to come.
All of this is really about making or sustaining connections. At the international level, we know things to be fraught. At the diocesan level, as I have mentioned in the pew sheet, there is to be a clergy conference on exactly this theme in a few weeks time. And we work at it here too at the parish level, asking for the discernment to acknowledge where we can do better, as well as giving thanks for that which is good.
The image from the gospel today of the vine and the branches is not at all difficult to apply to this theme.
Jesus said to his disciples:
'I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.... My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.'
There are abundant and evident results of God's presence and the consequent blessing. While bad things may and do happen to good people, good things do not flow from bad people. That I think is the point being strongly made here. It is one of the themes that John has running through his gospel. Think of that part of the story of the healing of the man born blind (Jn 9) where the man now fully sighted declares somewhat confrontingly: 'If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.' For that he was driven out, but it was a home truth.
All the great signs worked by Jesus recorded in John's gospel would come into that category, we are meant to understand. John has seven of them, just so we get the point. Other examples range from the provision of the wine at the wedding feast at Cana, right through to the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
And Luke in writing the Acts of the Apostles records another striking example of this idea, in the intervention of the respected rabbinic teacher and member of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel at the angry hearing against Peter and John when they had, contrary to specific order, continued to preach in the Temple and to heal the sick: Gamaliel said
'So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin it will fail, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them — in that case you may even be found fighting against God.' (Acts 5:38-39). To this day, this careful, tolerant approach is referred to as 'the Gamaliel principle'.
Perhaps the simplest illustration is a more negative one: all three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, record the parable of the fig tree in the vineyard, where the owner came looking for fruit and found none. The punch line for example in Luke after the gardener had pleaded not to dig the tree up is this: 'If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.' (Lk13: 9.)
Metaphorically speaking then, God produces good fruit. God also expects good fruit. We may well rejoice or pray that with God's grace that good fruit may be seen and experienced in where and who we are. This is Christian community building at work. So far as the Scriptures are concerned, this evident, observable quality that may well be perceived in individuals or in communities, is of the most central importance.
We ourselves are not the best ones to ask about this. But maybe those visitors or newcomers right next to us today are.
As we pray to God after the readings in the daily office prayers:
May your word live in us
And bear much fruit to your glory.
The Lord be with you.
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