Lessons from a Kiwi

Have you ever peeled a kiwi? I have, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. The first and only time I have peeled this small, odd, externally-brown but inwardly-green fruit was last weekend at my wife’s request. She kindly asked me to mix up the fruit salad, gave me the recipe, and pointed to an assortment of different fruits on the counter. Eager to help and to please, I set to work. “Peel and cube three small kiwi.” Okay. I checked in with her – “should I use a knife or a peeler?” Peeler. Okay. Well. Huh. The fruit was resisting my overtures. Umm. What? There. Ugh. The peel came off in small chunks, and I was pressing hard to make progress. Little by little it came. The peel stuck to my peeler. I was squeezing the fruit, and its shape was becoming deformed. The more peel I got off, the more deformed and slippery it became. Woops! Plop. On the floor. And I had two more to go! After that I had mangos to peel and cube! (The mangos weren’t easy either, but not as bad as the kiwi.)

I silently fumed. How can this be worth it? Can’t we just buy frozen or canned kiwi that’s already prepared? For all the mess, difficulty, and frustration I was experiencing, I would gladly pay extra to avoid this hassle.

By the third kiwi, it still wasn’t easy, but I had gained some technique. I didn’t let another one fall on the floor, either. I tasted a delicate bite of fresh kiwi. I calmed down and started to reflect. I am grateful for the ease of modern convenience, but is the easy way always the best way? Canned fruit does not taste the same as fresh-cut fruit. Peeling that kiwi gave me a greater appreciation for my fruit salad and a deeper connection with the earth which brought it forth.

The life of faith isn’t easy, either. I don’t know that it can be. So much faith is born in the messiness and difficulties of life. Canned faith might look tempting initially, but it won’t taste as good and won’t nourish you in the same way. Faith is hard at times, but the practice of faith is reinforcing.

Thinking back to Holy Week, I don’t think that Jesus found the life of faith easy either. Our life and salvation was born out of Jesus’ intense struggle and pain. Jesus didn’t take the easy way out, and thank God for that.

By the way, my wife loved my fruit salad.