What kind’a God?

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Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

(Words of Jesus, taken from the NIV Bible, “Luke”, chapter 13 verse 6 and 7. I have taken out the verse numbers, and added a heading that unlocked something for me.- Chris Uys)

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What kinder god?

Some say their god’s a tyrant, who would rant

and rage from up above with lightn'ing bolts,

with leprosy and plagues to cast aslant

upon an unsuspecting world of faults.

With fault-lines strewn around from growing out,

the problems which entail will come along

for growth and change are difficult, no doubt,

as most of us have found when we're not strong.

The god of Jesus (whom he called his “Pa”),

at times was spoke of as a gardener bloke,

who's planting trees and shrubs and vines to start,

but knows “trimming & culling” is no joke.

He's quite aware of ecosystems, more,

I’d like to say than most of us have been.

He gave such plants to animals, then, for

their food and places they could live, and breed.

And fruit is more than seed - an excess, gift

to other forms of life that come around.

A kind of “help to live” for those that lift

and drop the seeds, or trim the trees, or ground.

The gardener gave his ground and garden to

his children, for productive work and care,

and food, accommodation that renewed,

and places where their fam'ly life could share…

the time and space, enjoy it all as friends,

and lovers could in such a paradise.

Not sure you could get kinder, nicer ends

to aim for, or that god could be more wise.