By Reverend Dr. Christine Trimble

“ If some branches were cut off, and you, a wild olive tree, were grafted into it and became a partaker of the olive tree’s root and its fatness, do not boast over the branches. For if you do boast, you do not bear the root, but the root bears you. Then you will say, ‘The branches were cut off so that I might be grafted.’ Well, from the tree…” Because of unbelief they were cut off, but you stand firm by faith. Do not be proud, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either .

Romans 11:17–21

I've read this text over and over again. I've pondered what it means to be "inoculated," and even preached about it. But yesterday, as I watched that video, it felt like it was being revealed to me in a new way. Profound spiritual truths about bringing followers from different religious and cultural backgrounds into our local community of faith
were awakened within me .

Vaccination requires pain

In order for the vine to produce a new variety of grape, the vine must make a deep cut in the main stem. This cut causes the sap of life to bleed out.
I imagine if the vine could speak, it would cry out in protest!

Similarly, when we invite those who love Jesus from other backgrounds and cultures into the community of faith, we feel pain .
It's uncomfortable. We will lose a part of ourselves in the process. We will change.

Vaccination requires precision.

There is nothing random about where a bud is planted on a vine. The vinedresser must choose the spot wisely, make the cut expertly, and then gently plant the bud in its designated place.
The union of the two requires thought and preparation ; it cannot be rushed.

Similarly, inviting someone from a different religious or ethnic background into our faith community requires thought, planning, and preparation .
We cannot rush this process.
But by taking the necessary time, we allow that person to find their rightful place within the community, where they can grow and flourish .

Vaccination requires protection

In the video, after the grafter makes the incision and places the bud in position, he wraps it to protect it from external factors – just as we do with a wound, to keep it from infection.

I was reminded of the "immunization" or "temporary isolation" process many adoptive parents go through . We
did that. When we brought our daughter home, we were together all the time for the first few weeks.
We held her constantly (even though she didn't particularly like the carrier!), and when we weren't holding her, we were always within arm's reach.
We didn't let many people hold her.
We were establishing a new identity as a family of three, imprinting our role as parents on her heart and mind.
It took time... but it was worth every moment.

Similarly, when a person from a different religious or cultural background joins our faith community, there must be a period of protection , allowing them to truly become part of the body.

Vaccination requires patience

The expert in the video said that when they graft the vines, they are prepared not to see any fruit for a whole year, while the new bud takes its roots inside the vine.

Similarly, inoculating others within our faith community takes time .
Trust, love, and understanding don't develop overnight.
The community takes shape gradually.
This process cannot be rushed .

Vaccination produces something unique

Then, after the pain subsides, the bandage is removed, and the waiting period is over… something new and unique
appears .

Similarly, when someone from a different religious or cultural background is grafted into our local faith community, we are all transformed .
We become something new and different.
And that newness and difference makes us more like Christ.

This new understanding helps us to understand God more deeply and more comprehensively.

We were created to live as one body of Christ .

It is a striking paradox : the more Christ is translated into the intellectual forms and systems of life that constitute our various national identities, the richer our shared Christian identity becomes.
— Craig Ott and Harold Netland, from *Globalizing Theology: Faith and Practice in the Age of Global Christianity*, p. 118

When we are grafted together onto one vine, we become something unique and beautiful— the Body of Christ .
And when we choose to set aside our rights, our comfort, and our preferences, we learn how others see the Lord.
This broadens our view of the world and deepens our understanding of Christ.

Original English: https://desertmeanderings.com/2022/07/13/grafting-others-into-our-community/