The Breath of Life

If a person is having a heart attack, someone needs to administer CPR right away. Oxygen is necessary to keep the brain functioning. Oxygen means life – breathing air is precious! 

The Spirit of Pentecost

In the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday (John 20: 19-23) Jesus breathed on the disciples and this filled them with new Life. They had been hiding behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. When Jesus came to stand in their midst on the “evening of that first day of the week” They didn’t have a heart attack but perhaps they felt their heart jump when he spoke those first words, “Peace be with you.” This peace is the first brick in the foundation of our Church. God sent Jesus into the world on a mission, who 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 Spirit of Life

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: peace. 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! 

Homework

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, let us try to open our hearts to the breath of Life, the power of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit.