Wind, Fire, and Newness

Parts of our country have seen a lot of wind and fire lately.  I think of the images of Joplin, Missouri, a town turned to toothpicks by a fierce twisted wind.  I think of the scene in Arizona, where hundreds of thousands of acres are being consumed in the start of the wildfire season predicted to be the worst in decades.    The people in these affected areas are encountering life as uprooted, broken, uncertain, devastating, and unpredictable.  Fire and wind change things, and for those in their paths, life will never be the same.  Yet, somehow the spirit of the people prevails in the desire to rebuild, to start anew, to begin again, to hope again.

Fire and wind are key symbols of Pentecost, which we find in the first reading on Pentecost Sunday from the Acts of the Apostles.  (Acts 2:1-11) The “noise like a strong, driving wind,” and “tongues of fire ” usher in the Holy Spirit .  And like those affected by tornadoes and fires, life for the Apostles, and indeed the future Church is changed forever.   

Because of this event, Pentecost is considered the founding of the Church and is often called the birthday of the Church.  At most birthday parties, the person celebrating their birthday blows out candles on their cake and makes a wish.   We have had the paschal candle lit in our sanctuary for the past 50 days, symbolizing the light of Christ, crucified, dead, risen and present among us.  This weekend the candle’s fire will be blown out.   But, the Spirit of that fire, the Spirit of Christ, lives on in us.   In a sense, we could say that Pentecost is also the Birthday of the Holy Spirit, that God is blowing out the candle and that God’s wish, to be with us and among us forever is fulfilled in our midst.   Let us pray that like the people devastated by wind and fire,we might heed the Spirit’s prompting to create the world anew.

O God, ignite our hearts with the desire to hope.  AMEN.