Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World

by Rich Villodas

One of the dangers is we expect the gifts of the Spirit to quickly do what only the fruit of the Spirit is meant to do slowly.

One of the daily tasks of Christians and church leaders, denominations, and dioceses is to ask if and how we are being used by the powers and consider how we might better overcome them in the name of Jesus.

If you’re feeling the pain of what someone has done, that doesn’t mean you haven’t forgiven that person; it means that wound was deep.

Justice is the right ordering of relationships. It’s an act of organizing life through mutuality and not coercion, humility and not dominance, generosity and not greed, compassion rather than indifference.

Outrage is a great brand builder but a poor justice maker.

But the Holy Spirit reminds me that discipleship is not about fruitfulness but faithfulness. My task is to be faithful. God will take care of the fruit. At the end of it all, Jesus will not say, “Well done, good and successful servant” or “Well done, good and influential servant” or “Well done, good and high-capacity servant,” but rather, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).