A Season of miracle and hopefulness

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.