Read: Galatians 5:22-24

But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . goodness . . . gentleness . . . (vv. 22-23)

These days people seem angry. They feel cut off from the prosperity enjoyed by only the few. They see other groups of people doing better, and they come to despise those groups. Even Christians seem angry, protesting loudly and carrying hate-filled picket signs decrying this or that issue. When Christians debate each other on split-screen TV news shows, they spew invectives, shout each other down.

In and through this, the fruit of the Spirit shrivels like an apple left sitting on the counter too long. It is striking that half of the nine fruit listed by Paul have something to do with being gentle, kind, quiet, and in control. We are supposed to be patient, not snappish and ill-tempered. We are supposed to exude a gentle kindness that gives others a wide berth and a warm embrace, not a hostility that wags fingers or screams purple-faced at others.

Most of these fruit are the opposite of what many in our world regard as strength. These fruit seem weak, wimpy. Of course, Jesus struck many people the same way. He was easy to gang up on, arrest, and kill. But Jesus endured it all in patience, gentleness, kindness, and goodness because he knew the world would be saved not by power but by humility and sacrifice. And that is the path down which his Spirit still leads us. —Scott Hoezee

Prayer: Make us a kind people, dear God, that we may show your face to all.

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