Watching over the vineyard of the spirit

By Margaret Rose Realy, OSV News

Working on acres of vineyards during college was a job I thoroughly enjoyed. I would pack the rear baskets of my bike with my lunch and tools and ride across campus, a tattered straw hat flapping on my back, to the research farms six miles away.

Once there I would walk a mile through the orchards that led to the sloping hills of vines and meet up with Professor Norm and other graduate students.

One of my fondest memories is of a drizzly afternoon spent setting the posts and wires meant for a new line of vines with the professor; we were both in green plastic capes which were dripping from the rain and doing only a so-so job of protecting us. As we worked throughout the afternoon Professor Norm, always the teacher, talked enthusiastically about viticulture -- until he lost control and smashed my shoulder with the 18 lb. post driver! The poor man felt terrible as he untangled me from the wire and helped me out of the mud.

He taught that grapes are a crop susceptible to numerous diseases, and how recognizing the early onset of any one of them is essential to preventing extensive damage. And this is so true for our spiritual well-being, too -- we Benedictines have a saying: “Allow one small fault, and bigger ones soon follow.”

A vigneron (vinedresser) is a person who oversees and cares for a vineyard. This person may also be a viticulturist -- as was Professor Norm -- who studies grapes and grape production.

The vinedresser knows his vineyard intimately and is quick to discern the first sign of distress or threat to the crop. One learns to watch for the beginnings of mildews with powdery their white coatings and brown spots, or for the shriveled fruit that comes with black rot, or the pale and freckled leaves that signal nutrient deficiencies.

It's important for all of us to keep a lookout for signs of illness to our spirit as well. Our willingness to entertain a shriveled or bitter outlook (or encourage it in others) or to become slothful in our practices -- neglecting opportunities to be generous toward others -- can all be signs of active disease, or at the very least, a need to nourish the threatened spirit.

Grape leaves -- and the leaves of many plants -- have a sheen to them. When they turn dull, that's an early sign of a health issue. In working with commercial greenhouses, I watched for just such an indicator. There, as within a vineyard, dull leaves warn of encroaching disease.

In biblical times when the grove was extensive, the vinedresser would use a watchtower, not only to keep an eye out for encroaching enemies, but also for early detection of the declining health of his crop. From a position well above the vineyard, he could see if an area had dulled or begun to yellow.

A watchtower has an ominous symbol associated with preparing for war, seeking to know the enemy's approach in order to prepare a defense. But in Isaiah 5:2 we read of the tower's usefulness in watching over the vineyard, and in Micah 4:8 to view the flocks. The watchtower was proactively used for protection of the vines from a spreading disease or to spot intruders -- whether animals browsing or marauders encroaching.

By nature, we all watch over things, carefully observing what we care about. We view our gardens looking for weeds. If we have children -- even when they are adults -- we watch over them to be sure they areOK. We diligently safeguard our heart and soul for any approaching threat, too.

The Lord cares for us in much the same way. We are protected from the evil marauder who would come and steal our fruitfulness; God sends the Holy Spirit to help guard against the spiritual diseases that weary our souls. He watches over us. When we become spiritually dulled with the blights of this world, the Divine Vinedresser graces us with restoration; he will redeem us from the enemy.