Fruitfulness versus Achievement

Fruitfulness is a paramount concept all through the Old Testament, and Jesus in his many parables on the reign of God repeatedly draws comparison with fruitfulness: the mustard seed, that smallest of all seeds… The most telling and convincing image is the one of the vine and the branches, which shows how fruitfulness depends completely on the connection between the grapevines and the stem (Jn 15:1-17).

We think we understand. It seems so obvious. To bear fruit means: to be productive, to bring to fruition, to achieve, to make a profit. The other side of the coin also makes sense to us: a branch that does not bear fruit is unproductive, hence unprofitable, and therefore must be discarded. We thus interpret the biblical message in the spirit of an achievement society and miss the point. It is a challenge for us to understand what Scripture has to say in this regard.

The Achievement Society

The world we live in is permeated with a drive to accomplish and to achieve. That bug is transmitted to us in the very air we breathe. Even in old age this achievement-obsession does not let us off the hook. The accomplishments are the norm for valuing ourselves and others.

Unfortunately, in the church and in religious life this unhealthy attitude is not less, but perhaps even more prevalent than elsewhere.

In fact, this achievement mentality is so insidious that I want to cite some examples:

• Many people complain about the vast amount of work, the number of appointments and phone calls, the stack of mail, and so forth with which they must contend. The complaint sounds a little like disguised self-glorification.

• Many a sister and brother retiring from office has said to me, “Father, I still want to be of some service.” Laudable as this desire may be, an underlying message sometimes can he overheard: “I still want to count for something.”

• People have a tendency to develop a daily workload or ritual which is somewhat beyond their strength, though realistically this same task could be done more simply. This leads to much stress and also the pleasant feeling of being indispensable.

• The most subtle example I came across was in a book by a German Trappist monk, who related the incident of an old brother who confided to his abbot, “The world would be astonished if it ever came to know how much wood I have chopped in my life.”

Accomplishment is by no means always a secret search for profit, recognition, or power. It can very well be a response to a genuine sense of responsibility. Yet, even in these cases, taking things on has to be assessed carefully. One’s family or community and one’s leisure as well must be safeguarded. Of course, these conditions must not stifle our desire to help.

Similarities

There is only a thin line between fruitfulness and achievement. Both demand effort, discipline, and hard work. Much care and patience are needed to grow things. Yet, the differences rather than the similarities between the two seem more relevant today. Here are a dozen of them.

Differences

1. In fruitfulness there is room for mystery, which we trust and to which we surrender. We let happen, let go. Contrariwise, the achiever wants to have everything under control.

2. Fruitfulness is sound and natural, in accord with the inherent laws of nature. Achievement, on the contrary, often operates at a cost to nature. In recent years we have seen how the achievement society has been exploiting Mother Nature beyond her limits. At the individual level, over-accomplishment often results in burnout for the person. Likewise, our spiritual life is harmed by overemphasis on achievement and competition.

3. Nature has its flukes and freaks. Not all fruits are perfect; some will be misshapen or stunted. The performance anxiety on the other hand, does not allow for weaknesses and imperfections, either in ourselves or in others. It hankers after results and idolizes efficiency and success.

4. Stress for achievement quenches the contemplative element in our lives. There is such a preoccupation with results that God is no longer our focus. Fruitfulness, on the contrary, can make our activity into a sacred place in which God is allowed to be present and active. It enables us to be contemplatives in action.

5. Fruitfulness happens in a spirit of gratuity: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:8). Not just our ability and our talents, but our entire lives are gratuitous gifts from God. This attitude of gratuitousness is a heartening message to those who in our achievement society are considered failures.

6. The law of all fruitfulness is that grain has to be ground and die in order to produce fruit. This unpalatable rule of giving up self is not usually promoted by the achievement society.

7. Fruitfulness presupposes a relationship. The reign of God is all about relationships, ones that are intimate and lasting. Achievement can be a substitute for a lack of true relationships.

8. In both the Old and the New Testament, the great dignity of the human person consists mainly in being God’s co-worker. We could easily shift the emphasis from cooperation with God to self-centeredness.

9. We remember the traditional Pauline contraposition of 'faith' and 'law' and that our salvation comes through faith and not through the law. The 'achievement paradigm' tells us that it is through 'keeping the law' (by our own accomplishments) that we assure our salvation. This imposes a superhuman burden on us and stifles the joy of the Good News.

10. Jesus told us not to worry because our heavenly Father knows that we need food and drink and clothes. The essence of the covenant has always been that we seek God with all our heart…soul…strength and that God will take care of us. We make God our priority and God makes our well-being the divine concern.

11. Unlike the harvest of the field or the orchard, the fruitfulness in God’s kingdom often cannot be measured. Usually it remains inaccessible and hidden, known only to God. Achievement, on the contrary, is tangible and quantifiable; it proves our worth.

12. The older we become, the more our accomplishments diminish. Fruitfulness, on the other hand, can increase with the number of years. A spirituality of fruitfulness can relieve us from the danger of a grim anxiety and enlarge our understanding of what it means to be relevant.

Noting the differences between fruitfulness and achievement can clarify for us the biblical message, deepen our understanding of the Good News, and thus gladden our lives.

Some Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Looking at my life: I feel that I operate _ % from the fruitfulness paradigm and _% from the achievement paradigm. Share your reasons for saying so.

2. Which (if any) of the 12 differences are reflected in the attitudes and behaviors that mark my life?

3. As pastoral ministers identify some ways in which we fall into the danger of embracing the 'achievement paradigm'.

4. Share with your companions in the group ways in which we could move into the 'fruitfulness paradigm'?

(The original article appeared in Review for Religious 53 (March – April 1994): 231-237.)