Fifth Sunday of Easter
“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac is a marvelous song. It is a song about a relationship at a crossroads, as a person contemplates the possibility of change and seeing another person in a new way. It is a painful experience, but a necessary one. Time brings loss, which hopefully inspires growth and boldness. Hopefully our relationships become better as we grow and get bolder.
When Jesus says to the apostles “I am the vine and you are the branches” (Jn. 15:5), what he describes might have felt like a landslide. If you are a branch, then so many dead branches around you are getting pruned. Perhaps parts of you yourself must get pruned. No matter what, it will be a painful experience, but a necessary one. It will involve loss, but hopefully it will also involve growth and boldness. As the branches are pruned, what remains gets healthier.
In our own lives, there will be much pruning. Friendships will come and go. The rougher parts of ourselves might be worn down. But the love of Jesus will always be there. Remaining in that love will involve loss, but it will also involve growth and boldness. As we look back on how our lives have been pruned thus far, we can hopefully see that the Father’s pruning will continue helping us grow in the midst of change and loss.