The fruit is sometimes a thing you can count, sometimes something you can only smell or taste. Sometimes you can’t count it, smell it or even see it, but it’s there.

The fruit grows and multiplies, changing shape and colour, creating fragrance, sweet taste and juicy nature. It’s been found in real life things like the charity Tubestation set up to serve surf culture, to provide generously for a community with everything it has at its disposal, holding back nothing, giving what it can whenever it can. It is evident in a community hub being rescued and given back to a community.

The fruit has been seen in a beachside hang-out where all age groups come and go, being served daily portions of good home-made food and organic drinks; grandpas playing scrabble while grommies skate the ramp or watch surf movies, dads catch up with their emails and mums have a moment to themselves while tiny tots fall asleep on a bean bag.

The fruit is in a celebration of the creative arts, local bands rehearsing, the Zeath gallery with local artists encouraged and exhibited, musicians, movie makers, dj’s and promoters given a venue.

It’s being in local schools assemblies, competitions, school projects, field trips, joint ventures, youth forums and free activities for underprivileged young people.

It’s in the affirmation given across generational gaps and different tastes and personalities. In celebrating our differences and being even more united for them.

It’s in teaching each other what we have learnt, about the environment (in Wildlife Trust meetings), about philosophy or theology (in conversation and church meetings), about technology (in Residents 50+ computer club), about surfing (in surf video coaching with local surf schools).

It’s in Pilates classes in the sunshine by the beach, and the Pilates philosophy which is all about the journey rather than the destination.

It’s in having a sharp compassionate edge, a small surfing community galvanized, pulling together, doing what it can to right global injustice, raising money for other charities and awareness of global anthropological issues.

It’s in the heat of an open kitchen, a high-pressure environment on show with a team whose goal is to keep it cool. It’s in a small community journeying together, praying for each other, working out what it means to be a community of faith in our generation. It’s in the breaking down of barriers between people and people; and between the fruit in our lives and the root of our lives!

The future…