Background Notes:

The parable of the fig tree in Luke’s gospel (13: 1-9) illustrates how Jesus challenged common beliefs and practices of the day by posing provocative questions about God. With this parable he seemed to be asking, “When you see bad things happen, do you think those people did something to deserve it?” Yet Jesus seemed to be saying that all people need repentance, new life, and time to cultivate that new life. To avoid the negative and condemning connotation many associate with the word repentance, we used the Hebrew (to turn) and Greek (new life) translations in this hymn and sought to emphasize the different ways we experience transformation and the freedom that comes from it.