June
9, 2019 Pentecost
The other day I
was listening to a podcast about the use and origin of the words. One caller
into the show was a fifth grade girl who was curious about the word “conspire”.
Now when most of us hear that word conspire we probably associate it with
wrongdoing, secrets, maybe the planning of something illegal or harmful. But there’s more to it than that and what I
learned I now share with you. That is that the word conspire contains the Latin
root spirare, which means to breath. Then, of course, there’s the first part of
the word, the prefix, con, which means with. So the word conspire literally
means “breathing with” or “breathing together.” The original thought was those
who conspired were so united, in such harmony with one another that they even
breathed together. It was only later that it took on darker connotations.
This notion of
being so close, so connected that you even breathe together made me think of
the Church’s celebration of Pentecost - the coming of God’s Holy Spirit -
because the biblical word in both Hebrew and Greek for spirit also means
breath. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God. God’s breath that gives life and
energy to us and to all of creation. What we celebrate today is God’s holy
conspiracy. The amazing wonder that God chooses to not only dwell with us but
in us. Our union and connection with God is so intimate, so close that we
actually conspire. God breathes and we live. We live into newness of life, into
healing and wholeness, into mercy and grace. God breathes and we live - into love
itself.
In our reading
from the book of Acts we hear about the coming of God’s Spirit, God’s breath.
How suddenly from heaven there came a
sound like the rush of a violent wind - and wind, by the way, is another
word that can be translated as spirit. We hear how the Holy Spirit filled all
of those gathered in the house. Now the way that the Spirit came on that
particular day was certainly unique but in no way was it the first time that
She was at work in this world. In the beginning, Scripture records that God’s
Spirit swept over the waters at the time of creation. Then it was her breath
that brought life into being itself. She was there at the parting the Red Sea.
And again speaking through the words of the prophets. Later the Spirit came
upon the Virgin Mary and she gave voice to Jesus’ proclamation. Then upon Jesus’ death, she blew through the
tomb raising him from the dead. As marvelous as the day of Pentecost was it was
not the Spirit’s first rodeo.
But before I go
any further, since we’ve been digging into words and their origins I want to
briefly note why I use the feminine pronoun when speaking of the Holy Spirit.
First of all, in the Hebrew language, the word for spirit or breath or wind is
all the same word, ruach, which is grammatically feminine. So that means that
in the Old Testament God’s Spirit is referred to as “she.” In the language that
Jesus spoke, Aramaic, the word for spirit is also feminine. When you get to the
New Testament, though, the Greek the word for spirit, pneuma, is neutral,
neither masculine nor feminine. Even so early Christian writers often spoke of
the Holy Spirit as a feminine figure. Along with that I assume we all know that
God is beyond gender, that God is not literally male or female, still what we
hear in church and in Scripture is primarily masculine pronouns and metaphors
for God. Obviously human language falls far short when we attempt to speak of
the mystery that is God. Yet words are the only tool we have. So when I speak
of the Holy Spirit I use “she” deliberately, knowing that I stand in the
tradition of believers who have gone before me with the hope that it is a
reminder to us all of the truth that both male and female equally, equally
reflect the image of God. And because the feminine pronoun is relatively rare
in our language about God it also serves to wake us up to the unexpected and
sometimes even uncomfortable ways that the Spirit comes and works in our lives.
For that’s
certainly what Pentecost was like for Jesus’ followers. The Holy Spirit came
unexpectedly, yes. But her coming was also a bit uncomfortable, truth be told,
for upon her arrival she blew away the disciples’ previously and preciously
held expectations of how God worked or, more specifically, in whom God worked.
No longer was the Spirit limited to particular people or events. But now she
was available to all. In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all
flesh. Not some flesh, not just those deemed worthy or acceptable, or
like-minded, but all flesh. Now no one is left out. And as the wind of heaven,
the breath of God came whooshing through the house that Pentecost day filling
people left and right God’s conspiracy was revealed. God breathes and we are
healed, restored, reconciled, forgiven, made whole.
But being filled
with the Holy Spirit is not just a personal experience we have in our own
private and separate lives. It’s not God breathes and I live. It’s God breathes
and WE live. Once God’s breath came upon the disciples they didn’t pack up and
go back to their own individual lives. Rather, later on in the chapter we are
told that the believers now ate together, prayed together, sang together, and
had all things in common. Part of being filled with the Holy Spirit is being
filled with God’s connecting power.
And as we
conspire with God and God’s people, sharing one breath, one life, one love we
are blown out into the world just like the disciples were. Yes they shared
their lives with one another, but they were also sent out beyond their
comfortable yet confining horizons to share the life and love of God with
others - others that, in many cases, were quite different than they were.
That’s because the Holy Spirit is no longer contained, but released. She is no
longer limited, but expanding. And where she goes we go which can be
exhilarating and frightening all at the same time. For we do not have any idea
about or any control over what God’s Holy Spirit will do next, but we do know
that whatever it is it’s going to be good. God breathes and we live. That’s one
holy conspiracy - so let us conspire!
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