Come, thou Holy Spirit bright; come with thy celestial light; pour on us thy love divine. Come, protector of the poor; come, thou source of blessings sure; come within our hearts to shine. – Latin, 12th cent.
We are a people of Pentecost. There’s a secret fire that burns inside each and every Episcopalian that just longs for this day, the day we wear our red to Church, the day we process around and about, proclaiming, “Hail thee, festival day!”, the day we once again acknowledge the ever-abiding presence of our advocate and guide, God’s at-times blustering, and yet ever-blissful Holy Spirit!
Why wouldn’t we long for that? After all, I never met an Episcopalian who didn’t relish a good procession! But there is something about that burning bright spirit, that celestial light, meeting us where we are, particularly where we are now, this year, in our places of isolation that is comforting in ways I hadn’t previously imagined. Will the “breath of God” be able to find me, to find us, when there is no one around to aspirate it, to bring it to life?
Because, isn’t that, after all, the way the role of “advocate” gets played out? We, each of us, bring “advocate,” Holy Spirit, to life, through our words, the gospel we preach, but more importantly, through the actions we live out, in our daily lives. How do we live out the good news of Jesus Christ?
In the age of COVID-19, it’s strange that our vehicle for so much of our advocacy, the Holy Spirit’s breath within and beyond us is that which is now problematic. It has become the vehicle for transmission of a virus. And yet, a most simple act becomes one of the most caring things that we can do to advocate for the well-being of others: the wearing of a piece of cloth across our faces. How could this be so? What I do protects you, and what you do protects me.
In an age where so many are fond of espousing “rights,” it is not always as popular to discuss the responsibilities that go along with those rights. But our care, our advocacy of others is very much part-and-parcel of our Christian duty. In receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are in fact accepting the responsibility of BEING the Holy Spirit to others in the world. And there are so many places where advocates are desperately needed and necessary. All we need do is peer out of isolation in most any direction to see.
Are we wearing red and processing to comfort ourselves that the Holy Spirit has come, or are we wearing red and processing so that others might recognize us as advocates? Maybe both are worthy goals as we start this Pentecost season!
Faithfully yours,
Fr. Christopher+
