The earthly “theater” of life was just as terrifying and demoralizing for Jesus and his disciples in their time and place as it is for us today. Against all odds, Jesus trusted the Holy Spirit would never give up, because Love never gives up.  No wonder he spent so much time talking about the Holy Spirit with his disciples. He wanted them to carry on the mission once he was gone. He knew this Holy Spirit would be the secret to their success, giving resilience and unfailing hope. In John 14:16, Jesus says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you a helper, to be with you forever.” No step would be taken alone. Thankfully, the Disciples would carry on courageously. God’s Spirit on earth is still very much present and at work now, even and especially now in our upside down and broken world. We miraculously experience God’s comfort in our misery and hope for the future. When I feel the weight of the world on my heart, I pray for God’s presence and peace.  I think sometimes I am my worst enemy. Watch how I try and muscle my own destiny, instead of inviting the creative Spirit to help make a way for me. Inhale: I surrender. Exhale: Spirit, be with me.

Thomas Merton wrote, “We do not know we are full of paradise because we are so full of noise that we cannot hear God singing us and all things into being.” Beware, we suffer from an epidemic of self-reliance, 24/7 distraction, growing secularism, wildfire fear, and dangerous cynicism. Often the last place we look or turn for truth, answers to the small and grand questions of our hearts, for strength, power, inspiration, peace and deeper meaning is God. Why would we when most of our needs can be met with a click? And the world tells us, “You’ve got this!”

Until the carpet of our perfectly ordered lives is suddenly pulled out from under us. Or we wake up one day and say, “Is this fleeting, broken world all there is?” Weary from our “dry bones” reality, we long like the deer in Psalm 47, to find an everlasting stream.

Maybe you cannot see it now, but God is always working to redeem situations, people, this beautiful and sacred world.

Can you get quiet and vulnerable enough to hear, to see, to be guided by the Divine Spirit? Wouldn’t it be nice to experience a little glimmer of paradise within us?

Pray, pray, pray: Come, Holy Spirit, Come!