How, then, do we become a source of life for others?
In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve trade their solid relationship with God for control; it is the beginning of a diminishment of humankind’s connection with the Lord. The building of the tower at Babel is yet another example of humankind’s desire for control; the people migrating to Shinar seek dominance, presuming to make a name for themselves by creating a structure with its top in the sky, and God puts an end to their efforts by confusing their speech. Renewal is necessary, as Psalm 104 reminds the people of Israel: Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth, the psalmist prays. Jesus’ death and rising will restore us to relationship with God. When, at Pentecost, he promises the disciples an Advocate, he sends the Holy Spirit who will intercede for us, as Paul tells the Romans, coming to the aid of our weakness by perfecting our petitions and helping us to open ourselves to God in prayer. If we respond in love to God’s invitation to open to him, we will be able to allow his love to flow from within us like living water, as John's Gospel states, that all might come and drink. It is thus through us that the love of God flows out to the world, an expression of life-giving grace that transforms the world.
If the hubris of the people of Israel caused the confusion of tongues at the tower at Babel, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is a reversal of this confusion, since, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, each person present hears the disciples in his native language. It is an event that marks a radical change, as the apostles now embrace their ability to share the love of God that they have experienced themselves. In John’s Gospel, a similar event occurs in the upper room, when Jesus breathes on the disciples, inviting them to receive the Holy Spirit, a renewal of relationship wherein they can ground themselves in the love of God. Paul tells the Corinthians that to each individual, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. We need to open ourselves not only to God and the Spirit, but also to community, allowing ourselves to depend on that community to form a whole wherein each has different kinds of spiritual gifts. The Spirit is meant to flow from us all; we are to reveal the Word with love and generosity of heart. To be sent to proclaim the good news is to find in our hearts the capacity to love, to love always, to love under any circumstances. This is the ultimate lesson of Pentecost, an outpouring of God’s love into our hearts that we must share with our world.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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