Transforming Spirit
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22)
During the Last Supper on the night before he dies, Jesus promises the disciples that God the Father will send the Holy Spirit to act as a “stand-in” when he’s no longer there to guide them in person. In today’s gospel reading from John it’s Easter Sunday evening, the now risen Christ mysteriously appears to several of them, who, fearful and confused over the crucifixion, are huddled together in a locked room. The Risen Lord bids them peace, and then breathes on them saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Fifty days later, ten days after the ascension, when thousands of pilgrims, many from foreign lands, are in Jerusalem celebrating the Jewish feast of Pentecost, God the Father, as promised, sends the Holy Spirit in spectacular fashion, infusing the disciples with an overwhelming sensation of God’s presence.
It happens in the same Upper Room where the Last Supper took place, as the disciples, still fearful and confused, wait and pray. A mighty wind with thunderous sound sweeps through the room shaking the rafters; tongues of fire appear, part and come to rest on each of their heads. And they are filled with the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that swept over the waters at Creation. Soon massive crowds of people flock to the location, drawn by the tumult of that cosmic event.
The outpouring of the Spirit dramatically transforms the disciples as they experience the awesome power of God’s love. Suddenly people at the scene understand each other clearly though many speak different languages. Fear and confusion melt away and, like a bright light illuminating a pitch dark room, divine truth is revealed to them – Jesus is Lord; His mission is now their mission; God’s way of being with them henceforth will be in the Spirit.
Along with the wind and fire come various spiritual gifts. The gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and courage embolden believers to preach the gospel of love with conviction, while other gifts empower them to perform miracles; to witness, teach, prophesy; and speak in tongues. By the transforming power of the Spirit, the disciples become what God intends all humans to be – change agents who, brick by brick, will build God’s kingdom on earth.
Peter, for example, who denied Jesus three times, finally finds his courage and becomes a dynamic preacher and fearless leader of the fledgling community. Others who abandoned Jesus on Good Friday, similarly changed to their core, are also empowered to perform mighty deeds beyond their wildest dreams. Of the apostles, all but John are martyred and many more, like Stephen, the first deacon, go willingly to their deaths for the faith.
Paul, the chief persecutor of the infant church, after his conversion on the road to Damascus, becomes its chief defender and most influential theologian and missionary. Despite persecution, conversions to the faith occur in record numbers as disciples filled with the Holy Sprit proclaim the Good News, by word and deed, to all who will listen.
Incredibly, a hand full of rag-tag, mostly illiterate peasants, followers of an itinerant preacher crucified as an enemy of the state, spark a movement that spreads across the ancient world, eventually becoming the world’s largest religion with over two billion adherents. Today, over two thousand years later, the same Spirit comes to each of us in the sacrament of baptism, descending now unnoticed, not as spectacularly as before, still bearing the same gifts as on that first Pentecost.
For those open to the Spirit, the presence of God is experienced in all the circumstances of life – in a shared meal, a passage of music, a baby’s smile, walking through a rain forest, and, most especially, whenever we reach out to one another in love. And yet, tragically, so much of what goes on in the world today appears to be totally devoid of God’s presence.
We look at the world and see so many seemingly insoluble problems. We also look at our own meager talents, seemingly so inadequate to solve such daunting problems. We see, for example, vast numbers of wretchedly poor people, innumerable instances of injustice and ask ourselves: “What could one person possibly do to make a difference?” Or we see the immensity of hatred and violence among people who claim to worship the same God and ask: “How can I even hope to scratch the surface of all this?” To counter such feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, let’s learn a lesson from the story of the black squirrel and the owl.
A black squirrel once asked a wise old owl what was the weight of a single snowflake. "Why, nothing more than nothing," the owl answered. The squirrel then went on to tell the owl about a time when he was resting on a branch of a maple tree, counting each snowflake that came to rest on the branch until he reached the number 1,973,864. Then with the settling of the very next flake -- crack! The branch suddenly snapped, throwing the squirrel and the snow to the ground. "That was surely a whole lot of nothing," said the squirrel.
Yours and my individual efforts to spread the gospel of love may seem as lightweight as snowflakes. But our snowflakes, our good deeds, combined together with those of others, through the transforming power of the Spirit, can break the heavy branch of evil and injustice that causes so much misery in the world. That, after all, is what building the kingdom brick by brick is all about. Imagine, if will, what kind of impact two billion Christians daily living their faith could accomplish. We, in short, must become the change we want to see in the world.
American anthropologist Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” To which I would add….”especially if they’re filled with the Spirit.”
Anthony J. Sciolino
Acts 2:1-11;
Corinthians 12:3b -7, 12-13;
John 20:19-23.
Pentecost Sunday. May 27, 2007.
(Cycle C)