Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
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Flowers fallen don't climb back up
Deeds done are done… live on
Stand on your actions or they'll stand on you
Practice being quiet... your deeds say so much
Not doing is often a deed wisely done
Not acting can be as kind as acting
Generosity and meanness do not return... do not leave
Yet one small act can be a step into heaven
Enter and don't look back
*Brian K. Wilcox. "Small Act." Ferry Beach, Maine. 1.19.22.
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*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2023. Permission given to use photographs and writings with credit given to copyright owner.
*Brian's book is An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love. The book is a collection of poems Brian wrote based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.