The Holy Spirit—The Tie That Binds

I was the chaplain on call for the day shift that day. A nurse called,  “Please come!”  

When I got to the seventh floor, by the nursing desk two men and a woman were shouting at each other. The room opposite was bursting with large people, arguing. I bent my head to the nurse, “What’s  going on?” “Nine children. They’re fighting over their mother’s last  wishes.” We got them calmed enough to pray together and be silent so they could focus on their dying mother. A few minutes later, with  her last words, she pleaded quietly, “Children, please don’t fight.” 

The deepest desire of a mother’s heart is for her children to flourish. Integral to that flourishing is her desire for them to get along and to care for each other. My grandma said to my dad and  his six siblings, “Stay together.” 

If this is how a mother feels, how much greater, then, are the desires of God’s heart? As we build in the next few weeks toward the empowerment of Pentecost, what are the Lord’s designs for our flourishing? 

The Holy Spirit is the tie who binds a community together. When the early Christians bickered over who was getting enough food, the apostles were inspired to anoint the first deacons to serve. That way the church could be at peace and prosper.

Jesus prays that we all be one. The tension in today’s Gospel is that Jesus knows that he is about to go away. How are his followers to stay together? He wants them to flourish. They flourish best together. He is the Way. If they remain focused on him, they will stay together. They are about to be handed an important mission: to be  Christ to the world. They need that focus. So do we. 

Consider/Discuss 

• One of the most rewarding elements in the Christian life is to find out  God’s vision and take it for our own. What is God’s dream for the world?  What is your part in that grand vision? 
• Jesus says that he is “the Way.” He doesn’t say, “I am a nice idea.” In a world sometimes unconvinced, is the Christian message good for human flourishing? How does faithfully following Jesus matter? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Lord, we put our hope in you. There is much that pulls us apart  from each other. Your vision is for us to be together. We pray  earnestly for you to heal our divisions, for you are our unfailing  help. We commit ourselves to you again this day. Be our Way, our  Truth, and our Life.