Living in the Spirit

June 5, 2020

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-21

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
   and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
     and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
   and signs on the earth below,
     blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
   and the moon to blood,
     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” –Acts 2:14-21

A new day is dawning. A pandemic and senseless bigotry are tugging our heads from the sand. Our eyes are being opened to the harm from focusing our lives on things that do not matter.  The pandemic has shown us that the rich getting richer ultimately leaves no one to undergird their wealth. Who will wash their clothing, build their houses, pave the roads on which they drive, grow and prepare their food, care for them when they are sick, and transport goods across the country for them?

The question now is, will we learn from this experience? Will we move out through our nation and the world as the disciples did following Pentecost to take the message that loving one another and caring for one another is our primary purpose—rich or poor, persons of color or white, male or female, or LGBTQ. God created an interdependent world where each of God’s children is worthy and honorable.

All people need to have enough. Not just food, clothing, and shelter but also love, acceptance, appreciation, and respect. People of faith know the way to attain such a world. We need to act on that knowledge.

Prayer: Lord, instill in us the motivation and courage to step up and step out to create a world ruled by love Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.