Reflection on Pentecost

Happy Pentecost! As Johan Engstrom said last week, “The Spirit is a movin’.” at our parish.  But what does that mean?  We are reminded today that the small band of apostles, disciples, and women that followed Jesus sat in prayer together waiting in anticipation for the Holy Spirit to direct them.  And, boy, did God’s Spirit do just that!  “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting…and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them.” (Acts 2:2-4)

This was a powerful moment in the life of the Church but it is not over either.  Pentecost, like Christmas or Easter, isn’t a day that we look back upon and only remember “the good old days”.  We remember and believe.  We place our hope in a living God who can move us and guide us into greater, more abundant life for the good of God’s kingdom.  And through the Holy Spirit, we can confront all kinds of times of desolation with the hope and peace that only the Holy Spirit can provide in our hearts.

The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) are filled with words of desolation, people in national and personal despair, yet in faith, the Israelites would acclaim “Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock.” (Isa. 26:4)  By putting their faith in God, they were consoled.  They were strengthened.

Then God’s Word dwelt among us and Zacharias prophesized, “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79).

We live in a culture often focused on death. Steeped in that culture, we can easily grow in fear and anxiety of suffering further and any change, especially what we may see to be significant, only raises our anxiety and increase the darkness within our spirit (our inner self).

Yet, Pentecost proclaims something different, something powerful.   Jesus Christ is not only resurrected and sitting at the right hand of our Father in heaven, but their Holy Spirit dwells with us and can empower us through our trust and faith in God.  In that empowerment, God calls us into spiritual maturity – to grow in our love for God, to love our neighbors more actively, and to become greater authentic witnesses of God’s grace and power. We cannot fake this, we need to grow in our freedom from sin and that means responding in faith.  It means living in a new culture focused on resurrected life and not death. On God’s power, not our own. Yes, the Spirit is a movin’ in our parish.  But can we let go of what holds us in darkness and allow the Holy Spirit to move us?