abide in me

“Abide in me, and I will abide in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abide in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

When you abide in Christ, what do you do?”  It’s a question we all had, but he was the only one courageous enough to ask it.  He asked it of a wise old nun who was leading a group of us through a day of prayer and silence at a convent near Seattle.  We had all spent the day together and were debriefing with each other about our time.

“You don’t do anything,” the wise saint replied.  And then, seeing the confusion on his face, she added, “Think of it as the silent embrace of two lovers.”  And suddenly we all got it.

That is the beauty and the mystery and the intimacy of the relationship Jesus invites us into.  It’s the same relationship he shares with the Father and the Spirit, and he invites us into their Great Round Dance of Love.  That is how the life of the Spirit produces fruit in us and through us.