by Sandi Troup

Facebook is funny in what it pushes sometimes. One day I was scrolling through and saw something about Guerrilla Grafters. How on earth did that fit into its algorithm? Gardening groups? My military history? Regardless, somewhere in that AI, it was right, and I was drawn to click…It was an article about a group of radicals bucking the “capitalist” system that puts ornamental pears on city streets. Let me back up…

As an avid conservationist, I am aware of our relationship with ornamental pears. We introduced them to line our parks, plop them into subdivisions after plowing down all the native trees, and line our streets with them. The original tree imported from China was initially favored because it grew quickly and had beautiful blossoms but was sterile. Or so we thought. They made the mistake of genetically crossing it with another pear that gave it the ability to cross-pollinate and produce fruit just large enough to be dispersed by birds. It’s now a bane to meadows and wild landscapes, has relatively no value to wildlife, and is pushing out native species. (See this article for a full history on this tree.)

So the Guerilla Grafters are fighting the injustice of unproductive trees. Yes, they are green, grow fast, and produce shade, but they have been robbed of their fruit-producing capability. Of course, cities don’t want fruit splatters all over their sidewalk, the risk of getting sued by someone who slipped on fruit, or especially the messy byproducts of birds that are drawn to the fruit…but that’s beside the point. These arbor revolutionaries sneak around with branches of productive fruit trees and grafting them to the ornamental trees. They target working-class neighborhoods where there is little access to produce stores. The concept is intriguing…and it got me thinking about this spiritually...do I ever resemble these ornamental trees – all show but no fruit?

What is Our Purpose?

When I reflect on that question, I think back to Adam and Eve. God created us for fellowship. Then sin created a rift between us. The rest of the Bible tells the grand story of how God worked to restore that fellowship. With the Israelites, the Ten Commandments were like a primer - guidelines of righteousness. To many, it was just a bunch of rules to follow legalistically. The Pharisees added ridiculous rules on top of that. I can’t even imagine trying to meet those standards. (Ahem, gardener...did you count the seeds on your dill head to tithe?)

When Jesus came to earth, He clarified what it’s all about. It’s not about religion…it’s about relationship. Everything leading up to this point could all be summed up into only two easy guidelines:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ … ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.

 – Matthew 22:37-40 (GNT)

Throughout our ministry, we liked to sum it up as Love God and Love People.

God intently desires our fellowship. We also have the duty of demonstrating His love to others because we are the face of Jesus to the world. (I John 4:11-12) How can we do this better?

What is Missing?

Coming back to our ornamental trees – it’s easy to be like them, sucking up nutrients, growing into lush green trees. We can pride ourselves in how majestic we are with our showy, sterile blossoms. But I wonder, do those trees ever feel like they are missing something in their lives? Like maybe they were meant for more? Do they feel empty, unchallenged? Do they see the orchards of real fruit trees and long to give others the joy they do? 

Just like the Grafting Guerillas are doing with urban trees, Jesus provided a way – by grafting into Him – for us to have purpose. God calls us not just to “abide in Him” through that graft and to produce fruit. 

In John 15, Jesus tells us that He is like the vine, and we are the branches. We can only produce fruit when we’re grafted into his nourishing presence and follow his teaching - love God and love people! Galatians 5:22-23 expands on what good fruit looks like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. (GNT).  

I don’t know about you – this list is always humbling and challenging for me. The gardener – the Father – is continually at work to prune and produce more fruit. This is a lifelong work in us.

The Best Fruit

The Sea of Galilee was a big wine-producing region in Roman times. As Jesus spoke, I’m sure the people following him were very familiar with the agricultural symbolism he used in his parables. 

I like full red wines, and my favorites come from rocky, dry regions like Chile and the Rioja region of Spain. Experts feel that the best wines come from vines that are stressed, resulting in fruit that is more vibrant, more balanced acidity, and has smoother tannins. Reflecting on my own life, this is true in a spiritual sense! God uses trials to bring us closer and refine our relationship with Him, ultimately producing better fruit. Sometimes this might also involve painful pruning!

My Own Growth in Difficulty

Back in 2005, I had plans to leave the military to treasure being a mom with my second child – I missed important months in my first child when I had to deploy. Within four months, I was slammed with a miscarriage and breast cancer diagnosis. I was only 32. It hurt…and rocked my world…but it also changed me immensely spiritually. 

I remember the sleepless nights waiting for my biopsy results. One night I was alone in the living room, praying as I looked out to the dark sky. I came to a place of complete surrender, telling God I wanted Him to use this situation – even if it meant my life – to reach others.

Wow, I cannot even begin to tell you what the past fifteen years have been like! Through my journey with breast cancer, I was not a victim – I was part of something. I had purpose. I was on the lookout for what that would be. An amazing path unfolded as a result. One step led to the other. Doors opened. I had a career change. More doors opened. Six years later, my family stepped up to an opportunity to serve as missionaries in Kenya.  God used my breast cancer and resulting VA disability pension to provide for our living expenses while we were abroad. What started as a change in perspective for me catapulted us into ministry opportunities that touched hundreds. Although God called us home after three years, many parts of that ministry continue.

While being a missionary seems to many to be the pinnacle of Christianity (it’s not!), I am continually reminded that the most important work God can do is often in the mundane tasks. When we follow that little nudge in our heart to do something for Him. It doesn’t matter who we are, where we are, and how “spiritual” we perceive ourselves to be...He just asks us to obey and join Him in His work. 

The Gardener is Never Finished!

Shortly after we returned to the USA, I started having muscle weakness and difficulty walking. After years of tests and specialists, I was finally diagnosed with ALS. It was not what I was expecting, and certainly not what we envisioned for our future.  As difficult as this has been, I feel God prepared me for this through my walk up to this point. He’s grown my faith as I’ve seen Him prune and bear fruit – and allowed me to see its impact. This brings me joy as I keep the mindset that I am a partner in His works, even though I may not even get to see everything with clarity until we get to heaven.

As I write this, I am standing in another doorway. I know God is calling me to something else, something to use this disability for His glory. It’s time for me to listen and time to follow through. He’s shown me again and again; He reveals His purpose best when I start walking in the direction he’s pointing. I wonder what amazing things He’s going to do with this? And I get to be a part of it!

What about you? What do you feel our purpose is? Have difficult events in your life changed your perspective? Have you felt challenged to be a part of more, even if it comes at a cost?

Resources

We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.

The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.

And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.

Read. Engage. Enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.” 

So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!