| It is not always easy to speak about the Holy Spirit. Moltmann makes it all sound so essential. So what do we experience in the Holy Spirit? In the Spirit we perceive Christ, and the redeeming fellowship of Christ takes hold of us. In this respect the Spirit is quite selfless, and points away from itself to God's Son. But in knowing Christ and believing in him we come under the influence of the Holy Spirit and feel its energies as the powers of the future world (Hebrews 6:5); for Christ is selfless, too, and points away from himself to the Holy Spirit. In the charismatic enlivening of our own lives we experience the coming springtime of the new creation, and we ourselves become a 'living hope.' We must never let this 'living hope' become a mere idea. It is to be who we are. The Spirit that pulls us into what is not yet helps to give shape to that 'not yet' by using us to be the instruments of its coming. We already take on the life of Jesus and we walk around as though that is our life and the world will come to take part in the life of Jesus today as we embody that life by the power of the Holy Spirit. In and through all of this, what will always emerge among us is the image of God. Picking up on that springtime image, it is coming - this life as our life. That is what is promised and that is what the Spirit brings about among us as the followers of Jesus - the church. All of this hopefulness springs forth as we - like the Spirit and the Christ - selflessly give of ourselves and begin to break apart of the rule of exclusion and hatred - fear and anxiety - threat and violence. In such a way, the future - that living hope - shines through us for all to see. Connection: I was wondering if we can each pinpoint a bit of that living hope as we see it alive around us. It would be good to be on the look out to see how it comes alive to inform us of the way to follow. Come, Holy Spirit - without delay. We are not brave enough to be the future so we call upon your saving power to let the future rain down upon us. Amen. |
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