聖靈果子:Fruit of the Spirit – LOVE - 號角月報加拿大版 Herald Monthly (Canada)

Fruit of the Spirit – LOVE

號角月報加拿大版二零二五年八月

Fruit of the Spirit – LOVE

(Editor’s note: Bernadette’s latest video artwork, Fruit of the Spirit, is one of the special presentations featured in the English edition of The Herald Monthly. Visit the Herald website to view both the Chinese and English versions, along with this article in English.)

Judging a Tree by Its Fruit

After many years of working as a commercial artist, I’ve transitioned into teaching painting. I’ve also been part of a church community for quite some time. Yet, despite growing in spiritual knowledge, I’ve often found that the way I live doesn’t fully reflect what I believe. It’s as if there’s a disconnect between what I know and how I live out my faith. That’s why I believe following Jesus and bearing the fruit of the Spirit is profoundly important. As Scripture says, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). The quality of a tree is revealed by the fruit it bears.

The Thorn-Covered, Spiritually Starved Man

I spent time creating a series of nine paintings themed on the “Fruit of the Spirit.” The first piece is titled Love, represented by the apple—the fruit of love—adorned with blossoms that symbolize blooming grace. In the painting, you’ll see a strikingly beautiful person. I intentionally made the figure gender-neutral, with a traditional and symbolic appearance that represents someone good—a person choosing to love someone who looks spiritually broken and unappealing.

When we think of love, our minds usually turn to sweet and gentle things: birds, flowers, roses, hearts... all symbols of joy. But God calls us to love those who are deeply difficult to embrace—those who offend, irritate, or even harm us. That is how He loves us. In the painting, this kind-hearted person reaches out to someone covered in thorns—and is wounded by them. The thorn-covered figure is dark and skeletal, symbolizing spiritual dryness, famine, and emptiness. Though his eyes are open, they see nothing—he is spiritually blind. One hand pushes away the love offered to him, while the other clutches a twisted object labeled Self-Centered Pride—the belief that “I’m always right. I am beyond correction.” Anyone who challenges him is rejected, even hated.

God’s Love for the Deeply Unlovable Me

Even when we proclaim love for God, we often become obstacles to love. We want to love only those who are agreeable, kind, and affirming. But those who oppose us, criticize us, or make us uncomfortable? We tend to shut them out. God, however, asks us to love these very people—just as He loves us.

This painting speaks of God’s enduring patience. It’s titled Love (Agape) as a reflection of His divine version of love: unconditional and transformative. And in choosing to love someone so difficult, we begin to grasp how God loves the deeply unlovable parts of ourselves—the selfish, prideful, and spiritually dry corners of our soul.

This artwork is my interpretation of Love, as revealed through divine grace.