A Fruitful People

Introduction
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. For a time, Puerto Rican economy, like many of its
neighboring countries in the Caribbean, was sustained in large part by the agricultural industry.
My grandparent’s generation and those before them, raised their families with the fruit of their
labor. That labor was not easy! It was hard labor, but it produced a good fruit. This did not
happen under the control climate of a room-temperature office –like the one from where I am
writing this book. Each day, they walked into the fields and work the soil with their beat-up
hands in order to produce fruit.

From time to time I recall some of the stories that my grandfather Papito shared with
me. This book prompted one those stories –his life as a man-of-the-land (sembrador). We
usually visit our grandparents every Sunday afternoon. There were times that when we arrived,
Papito was walking out of his field all dirty and sweaty, nevertheless his face was joyful of
spending time in his little piece of land. I learned through his experience as a sembrador, that
working the land brings with it a mixture of exhaustion and gratification. “It takes so much work
to plant a field like that,” says Papito as he points to the field that he toils across the street from
his home, “but when I come back not only with my tools, but also with a cluster of plantains
(racimo de plátanos) that brings so much joy.”

As I remember Papito’s words, I cannot stop thinking that though there are times when
his hands would feel the pain and stress of beating, seeding, fertilizing and irrigating the soil,
those same hands, in a span of time, would also carry the joy and fruit of his labor. It seems that
the possibility of holding in his hand the fruit of the labor, was the source of his strength during
the long days of work under the drenching Caribbean rains, itchy sunny days, mosquito bites,
and weakening humidity. What is more interesting is that, whatever joy he experienced as he
carried the fruit; he was ready to start it all over again. I guess he did not want a land that just
bare a fruit. He wanted a fruit-giving land. That is, a land that would be fruitful. That would only
be possible if he kept working the land.
 This book wants to take us through a similar journey. Using the words of the apostle Paul
to the church in Galatia, A Fruitful People seeks to take us into a journey of bearing good fruit.
“So I say, walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16 NIV 2011 all quotes follow this version unless
expressed otherwise), says the apostle. And in doing so, we will walk contrary to the desires of
the flesh and will be “led by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:18). If we opt to keep walking in the Spirit,
we will not act according to the flesh (Galatians 5:19), but we will be on a fruit-giving journey.
That is the journey that that apostle is inviting both the Galatians and us. A journey that is
characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. In his words,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such
things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by
the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become
conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:22-26)

Let us join together in this Spirit-driven journey. As we do, I pray for two simple things.
First, that this book becomes like the seed that was scattered by the farmer. Second, that our
hearts be the good soil, and as we journey to this discipling experience the yield becomes “a
hundred time more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). Let us toil together in the Spirit!