“Soil” | Reflection by Angela Arpino, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry

One of the starring roles in this past Sunday’s Gospel Lesson belonged to soil (Luke 13:6-9). Yes, dirt. “What?” you may be asking, “The parable was about a fruitless fig tree, an angry orchard owner, and a patient gardener.” True, but in my opinion, it was all about the soil.

The tree represents each one of us: sometimes bearing the Holy Spirit’s fruits of  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – and sometimes not. Jesus tells us the tree was harvested for those fruits years ago, but since then, nothing. Clearly, the tree was not getting the life-giving nutrients it needed from the soil to create delicious figs. It was a part of the orchard, but it lacked fuel for its purpose.

The fuel is in the dirt and the gardener (God) knows what to do: feed and enrich the soil that surrounds the roots so that the tree gets what it needs to flourish. God tends to me the same way. If I choose to surround my “roots” with soul-feeding activities like prayer, meditation, worship, spiritual reading, and a daily connection with God, I will bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. If I don’t, God’s love and care goes unappreciated and is absent in the “me” I present to the world.

In what ways do you feel enriched by your relationship with God? Which fruits do you produce in our hurting world?