The fruit of the spirit is ... goodness. Gal. 5:22
And there are common exclamations that use the word: "Goodness, gracious!" "Oh, my goodness!" "Goodness me!" "Thank goodness!" "For goodness sake!" Often the word "goodness" in these phrases is a stand-in for "God," but sometimes not.
Parenthetically, I was brought up to "not take the name of the Lord in vain," which meant that we didn't refer to God in an exclamation. It felt like we were scooting a little too far over the line to even say "Oh, my goodness!" God is so far above, beyond, and around us, as I understood the message of those around me, that we mustn't even get close to using His name lightly about some passing thing in our temporal lives.I still agree with that perspective--Goodness is Godliness, and therefore must be spoken of with reverence.
But how is it that we know what "goodness" is? What exactly is this "Goodness" as a fruit of living in the Spirit?
I thought of consulting with C.S. Lewis, whose writing is working really well for me these days. C.S. Lewis believed in goodness. One of his more famous quotes is, "Badness is only spoiled goodness." Well then, goodness should be pretty easy to find. But C.S. Lewis also came up with the following: "No man knows how bad he is until he tries very hard to be good." That fit in more with my train of thought as I kept an eye open for goodness. Goodness is generally admired and assumed to exist, but is very, very hard to find. Let me explain.
I do best with examples. So in my typical way, I stopped to think about people I know who personify Goodness. They ought to be all around us, right? The Spirit is active in this world, and goodness is a fruit of the Spirit.
Hmmmm. While I'm able to identify what would be "chocolatey goodness" and "fruity goodness" and even "whole-grain goodness," I was unable to think of anyone I could identify as "human goodness" or even "godly goodness." Every example that crossed my thoughts was a "yes, but..." Yes, he speaks well, but... Yes, she thinks of others and does kind acts, but... Yes, she's a calm and able leader, but... Yes, he inspires me when he's leading in worship music, but... And considering myself as a possible example, I can pinpoint more "yes, buts" than with anyone else.
To rebut C.S. Lewis, badness may be only spoiled goodness, but every goodness on this earth has some "spoil" to it.
Wait! There it is. Maybe I was asking too much in trying to find something or someone who personifies Goodness. Maybe my ever-present longing for idealism to become reality in this world has been getting in my way. Jesus said, "No one is good--except God alone." (Luke 18:19) And then He proceeded to offer the analogy of a camel trying to pass through the eye of a needle, showing the impossibility of truly personifying Goodness.
Here's my thesis: I think we have to be satisfied with little glimpses of goodness, born as the fruit of living in the Spirit. Some will bear more "goodness" fruit than others, I suppose, just as some bear more love, joy, peace, or patience than others. But the glimpses of goodness provide glimpses into the heart of God.
Those times when someone is good to me, or I am good to someone else, are quick little indications of God at work in this world as we wait for things to someday be set right. When someone chooses to give another person the benefit of the doubt, that's a glimpse of goodness. When someone stops to write and send a note of encouragement, that's a glimpse of goodness. When someone chooses the tough and steep road of integrity instead of the easy way out, that's a glimpse of goodness. When someone chooses to respond to difficult life circumstances with an attitude of looking for the positive, that's a glimpse of goodness. When someone is able to look beyond their own pain and care for others around them, that's a glimpse of goodness. And you could, I imagine, add your own examples to these.
I guess I can go along with your thesis although I wonder if a glimpse of goodness can come from anything but goodness itself.
ReplyDeleteI've also heard that Goodness etc stands for G-d so we shouldn't say it. So does gosh, and gee-whiz stands for Jesus. I say bah, if people meant to say those names, they would. I think they're just non-swearing stand-ins -- very kind and gentle exclamation points of sorts.
Wow, I have NEVER heard of these fruits. I guess this is what comes of being a mission kid, eh? You see a lot more of the world than those of us who stayed in one little corner most of their young lives. :) Thanks for introducing me to something new.
ReplyDeleteI really am enjoying this series - you have some phenomenal points in these posts and I've enjoyed contemplating them.
I, too, was raised to understand that those "G" words were replacements for the word "God" but was allowed to say "goodness," just not "gosh." Strange, now that I think about it. At any rate, I've gone back and forth about it over the years; part of me thinks if we want an exclamation to NOT be thought of as a replacement for something sacrilegious, we should completely make something new up. My sister says "Oh shoes!" in a silly voice. A friend of mine says, "Oh pickles!" when she's exasperated. Another friend says anything that comes to mind at the time, which may or may not make sense. It makes the situation funny and no one would accuse her of swearing or taking the Lord's name in vain. Interesting the different ways people find to express strong emotions.
As far as "goodness," I think you're right. There is no way to find PURE goodness on earth because God's creations, thanks to sin, are inherently bad. No bad thing can also be completely good. We'll have to wait until we get to Heaven to experience pure and complete "goodness."