Many of us live in towns we would define as friendly towns, but in any
place there is the possibility of defining people as either ‘in’ or ‘out’.
Those from outside can sometimes come to be seen as of less value than our
selves and this can lead to mistrust and even hatred. Community is a great
thing, but when it is used as a tool to separate one from another, rather than
to bring greater understanding it can be a tool of bigotry. It is a drive that
sees us moving away from each other, rather than closer together.
We are in the Christian season of Pentecost and in
this Season, Christians are reminded that the Spirit of God seeks to draw us
closer to each other and to God. At the first Pentecost, there was a strange
sort of event, where people from all corners of the then known world found
themselves speaking in the same language. Though they were different, they
understood each other.
This is the sort of community that God wants and this
is the activity of the Spirit of God; to draw us closer to each other; to make
the stranger a friend and to love the neighbour, who may well be different to
us. But this sort of Spirit love does not always come easy or cheap. When those
around you are telling you to hate it takes a divine power to move towards
love. As John Williamson said “Anyone can hate. It costs to love.”
The work of Pentecost is one of profound miracle and
hopefulness. It is a dream of a Spirit that can draw us closer, can assist us
to truly know each other’s pain and dreams, and can draw us closer to a vision
of a compassionate world. Let us pray for the gift of such a Spirit and know
her presence in our midst.
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