Doing Great Things for God - Together
May 11, 2008
Read: John 20:19-23
One way to tell if a person is alive or dead is to hold a mirror up to the mouth. A breath – even a weak breath – will form a mist on the mirror indicating that the person is alive. If there is no breath, there is no mist – and no life.
On the evening of the first Easter, the risen Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Just when they were at their lowest ebb; shut away in a room, paralyzed with fear, dispirited, disillusioned and confused – the breath of Christ – the Holy Spirit of God, began to flow through them. They may have not yet fully understood, but he was giving them new life and new energy.
Fifty days later, on the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would come upon them again – and everything changed. The men who were cowering in the upper room just a few weeks before now spoke with authority – and people from different parts of the world heard them in their own language. They forgave sins – as they had been empowered to do on that first Easter night. They proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ with a courage they had never known before.
No one can receive the Spirit of God and remain unchanged. For these disciples, although Jesus had disappeared from their sight, in many ways he was closer to them than when he walked with them as a man. He was now a part of them.
Although their mission would cause them to travel far from one another, they would be more in communion than they had ever been. With the Spirit of Jesus living in them, they became, in a new way, his people; his messengers, and his body. Wherever they would go, he was with them.
This gift of the Holy Spirit, given to the small Christian community that first Pentecost, has been with his disciples in every age. The Spirit gives life and energy to the world and all the people in it. As their spiritual descendants, we need to be more aware of the Spirit within us and how we can harness its energy.
The Holy Spirit is commonly portrayed as a dove, but I like to think of it more like that bunny in the TV commercials that just keeps going and going. However, even that electric bunny will not move if no one turns on the switch.
If we walk into a poorly-lit room, we can complain about how dark it is, or we can turn on the light. If we see an area of darkness in our little corner of the world, we can curse the darkness, or we can help bring the light of Christ to it. We can “turn on the switch” and be empowered and energized by the Holy Spirit to do great things – or we can moan about the fact that there is so much sin and darkness in the world that it seems that God has forgotten us.
God never forgets us. God fills our world with a life so wonderful and mysterious that it defies explanation.
We can explain how the movement of the earth around the sun causes the seasons, or that the spinning of our planet brings about night and day. However, that does not give justice to a newly-blossoming flower or the gentle warmth of a spring day. We can learn how the union of cells can bring about new life, but that does not adequately explain the indescribable beauty of a baby’s smile.
All the positive energy and life that surrounds us is the Holy Spirit of God. It is part of us and we must be open to its power. It energizes us and allows us to become dynamic messengers of Christ according to our own individual gifts.
We do not simply bring Christ to others – we identify the Christ who is already there. Where there is goodness, it is His goodness. When we bring healing, it is His healing. When we forgive, it is His forgiveness. The Holy Spirit empowers us to show people how Jesus is already at work in their midst. They, in turn, are strengthened by the same Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is described as “a strong driving wind,” as “tongues of fire” and as the gentle breath of Jesus. You and I may have experienced these manifestations of the Spirit. You may have been knocked to the ground, as St. Paul was. You may have felt empowered to do things you never thought possible. You may have heard the small voice within telling you not to do something you knew was wrong, or a gentle nudge pushing you into doing something you knew was right. You may have been touched by the Holy Spirit and not even recognized it.
I remember once, many years ago, experiencing the Holy Spirit as I listened to an elderly woman outside of a nursing home. She talked about her life, and the things she had done, and the people she had loved. As a gentle summer breeze flowed through her white hair, I saw the years melt away and reveal a beautiful young woman whose smile was the face of God. I am still moved by the power of that smile.
God sent His Spirit to energize the world. God calls you and me to turn on the switch. Together, we can renew the face of the earth.
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