“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” The vinedresser of this passage cuts away the dead branches and prunes back those that are not bearing fruit. At first glance, it appears that there is a certain ruthlessness about the image of the vinedresser pruning the vine: perform or perish! However, the process of cutting away and pruning branches is an incredibly nurturing action; it is removing the unproductive portions of the plant so that the vine has an even better opportunity to produce fruit in the next season. It is an act of love; not an act of economic rationalism. 

Within our own lives we are called to make decisions about which of our thoughts and actions are life-giving (fruit-bearing) and which are unproductive; negative; crippling; life-diminishing. If we are able to ‘prune’ our life-diminishing thoughts and actions we allow ourselves the freedom and the ability to really flourish. Feelings of jealousy, greed, resentment, self-doubt and lack of confidence can limit our ability to be fully alive just as addictive and harmful behaviours can physically take away our ability to perform at our best.

In what way do we bear fruit in our lives? It is only through a process of cutting away and pruning that we can nurture ourselves to realise the beauty of our potential.