Be Still And Know

John 15:6 NLT    'Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.'   When we arrived at the Oratory, we knew little to nothing about gardening, so we set about learning a new craft. One of the first tasks was to prune the many overgrown trees. We discovered this strengthened the remaining growth and ensured greater fruitfulness. The wood we removed was eventually burned on our log fire.    Moving from the specific to the metaphorical, Jesus is speaking here of those who choose to stop abiding in him. I think this is a challenge we all face; moments when we doubt our faith or blame God for the realities of our life. Choosing salvation does not risk-proof us: we are subject to the anomalies of human existence in the same way as everyone else.   In Christ, I can find the resolve and resilience to navigate my way through such anomalies. In doing so I may discover some wood that is reducing my fruitfulness. This I can easily su