Bearing Fruit

I have a weird thing were I can remember conversations and stories but I can't often remember where they took place and who was there. Anyway, in the last couple weeks, we were having a conversation about religion and I said one of the things I appreciate about the Roman Catholic church is the Saints. Because here in Protestant church, we know the basic stories of the people in the Bible, but we have only a vague idea about how people lived out their faith a century ago, two centuries, or five hundred, one thousand, or fifteen hundred years ago. Most of us know the names of Mary and Joseph, Jesus, Peter, Simon, James, and John, and Paul the Apostle, Jonah, Moses, Noah, and Adam and Eve, but can we lift up people throughout the history of Christianity, which is now 2,000 years old, who made a difference, who bore fruit in their time and changed history and the church?

Most people could name 5 musicians or bands they like, their 5 favorites actors/actresses, 5 professional athletes, maybe even a couple of writers, but outside of our church and our community, can we name 5 people in today's world who we think are bearing fruit? If I asked about about the last 100 years, the top two names would probably be the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sister Theresa of Calcutta. Who else would be in that list for you? ...  Even in liberal Protestant churches, we have made our faith too much personal and private, rather than about bringing the kindom of God into this world, we are satisfied with just changing hearts and maybe a few minds. 

It is the strangest thing about John the Baptist's story in the Gospel of Luke. He greets the coming crowds not as a gracious host, someone who is bringing good news of great joy, not as a carnival barker wanting them to buy the ticket to get in, but as a prophet of old, Eugene Peterson writes like this, "“Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ John the Baptist goes on to talk about trees being cut down and the separation of the wheat and chaff and the chaff being burned with unquenchable fire.