Holy Spirit as Wind: Violent, Mighty, Rushing

Acts 2:2

 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ~ NRSV

 Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. ~ The Message

 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting ~ King James Version

In the Genesis creation story, the wind of God - the Spirit of God - is hovering. It's poised and ready for action, but almost in a calm kind of way.

 And in the giving of life (and the taking of the Spirit from Saul), it still feels like an intimate action - from God to an individual.

 But that breath of God - the ruach, the pneuma - isn't always just a quiet, sedentary thing.

 At Pentecost, God makes a statement!

 This Holy Spirit is ready to take Holy Action and not in any subtle, intimate way.

 Instead in a communal, overwhelming way.

 Like a tornado blowing through a town.

 Or a hurricane taking apart everything in its path.

 It's almost as if at Pentecost, God took the lid off and let the whole thing out at once! There was no holding back. The Spirit rushed out, taking no prisoners!

 It isn't that the Spirit didn't exist before. It isn't as if God never shared God's Spirit.

 But something new was happening. And it was something that would change everything.

 And so it required a proper, unmistakable statement.

 The wind had blown into town and was sticking around, ready to surprise everyone!

 And it just keeps on coming!
Prayer: Veni, Sancte Spiritus. (Come Holy Spirit). Amen 
As part of your prayer today, I invite you to close your eyes and meditate with "Veni, Sancte Spiritus" from the Taize Community: 

 Veni Sancte Spiritus

Popular posts from this blog

The Gospel of Mark: Women at a Distance

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. ~ Mark 15:40-41 Where have all the disciples gone?  What about the crowds? Whose left? Some women. Standing at a distance. These two verses have always been poignant to me. We get so little in any of the gospels about the women following Jesus. But here's what we know about them. First, they paid the bills. And second: they stuck around. They would be the ones to watch Jesus die and the ones to visit his tomb. One of the things I've noticed about Mark is how he is able to say so much about people even by using so few words.  About Judas we know his character despite getting so little about him. About the woman who anoints Jesus, we know her generosity despite not even knowing her n...
Read more

Transformed through Courage: Esther

Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying,  “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.”  When they told Mordecai what Esther had said,  Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”  Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai,  “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my beha...
Read more

The Gospel of Mark: The Crucifixion of Jesus

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.  Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).  And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.  And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.  The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”  And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,  save yourself, and come down from the cross!”  In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himse...
Read more