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The Breath Of Life

In the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday (John 20: 19-23) Jesus breathed on the disciples and this filled them with new Life. They weren’t having a heart attack, however perhaps they felt their heart jump when Jesus came to stand in their midst on the “evening of that first day of the week.” They were afraid of the Jews and had been hiding behind locked doors when Jesus appeared. His first words to them were “Peace be with you.”

Our Foundation

This peace is the first brick in the foundation of our Church. God sent Jesus into the world on a mission, Jesus in turn sent the disciples and it is up to us to continue their mission. How do we do this? Don’t we need some schooling or at least a sheet of instructions before we go out into the world? We need the Holy Spirit in order to continue this mission! The Holy Spirit is the breath of Life that fills us with new energy, renewed faith and the power to reflect and act with forgiveness. This is where we need to be reminded of the first brick that was laid. We cannot go out into the world and spread Jesus’ message without first having peace. There can be no peace unless there is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the church’s CPR. Forgiving is probably one of the most difficult things to do. To forgive, to even seek forgiveness, requires us to open up locked doors and overcome our fear. These are all the things the disciples faced on that first day. It is what we face today! The power to forgive can heal hearts, heal a broken community and open doors to becoming peacemakers.

As we turn our eyes toward the feast of Pentecost, can’t we try to open our hearts to the breath of Life, the power of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit?