Luke 3: 9 “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Today’s Scripture is the final statement made by John the Baptist, who was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’” (3:4). John went on to warn the “brood of vipers” listening to him that they wouldn’t get a free pass on judgment just because they were “children of Abraham.” Rather, they were to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (v. 7,8); furthermore, “every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (v.9).

As I write this piece, I am in a contemplative mode of seeking what to do in regard to our beloved Community Dinner. Many things have changed from 2016 to where we are now. Eight years ago, when it first started, life was different. We experienced some real-world challenges from 2020- 2022; we were in a pandemic that challenged the entire world. We at St. John’s and The IMAN Center had to find ways to gather the food needed to nourish our community and to keep our commitment to the people we serve. I believe that often with challenges we can become really creative and come up with all kinds of ideas that I believe we all have inside of us, the “fruit”, the metaphor that the passage speaks about. I am glad all of our team (trees) are producing good fruit; there is no need to be “cut down and thrown into the fire.”

We are still faced with challenges regarding the Community Dinner. However, it is our love for the community that keeps us pressing on. With God’s help we will meet all of those challenges facing our modern-day wilderness.

Sheila F. Stanton