Not left Orphaned

 John 14:8-27 is the Gospel Text for Pentecost, June 5.

Jesus OWNED the Word, as the Word made Flesh.  He is the Logos.

Jesus OWNED Peace, not as the world gives (Pax Romana), but REAL SHALOM (completeness, wholeness and well-being for all people, that leads to real peace) for ALL people is that to which Jesus calls us, and that which is produced by living Agape Love with one another.

Those who love Jesus will keep HIS COMMANDMENTS, HIS WORDS.  Jesus' WORD, Jesus' COMMAND is the living of Agape Love in the world.

And Jesus promised not to abandon us, even after His death - that we would not be orphaned.  He promised the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to come IN HIS NAME.  He also OWNS the Holy Spirit.

Now, the Spirit of God was not a new concept.  The Spirit of God is referenced in the scriptures of old.  The difference for those of us who follow Jesus is that the Holy Spirit of God always points to, guides to, leads to, drives us to the Christ.  The Holy Spirit is RELENTLESS, working on us to open our hearts and minds to the Way of Jesus.  You can call the Holy Spirit power, influence or conscience if you like.  I believe that the spiritual reality, presence, power and influence of the Holy Spirit is that which speaks the WORD to our hearts and minds and brings us to find a better way to live with God and Neighbor in Jesus' Way of living with God and Neighbor - the Way of Jesus - the Way of Agape Love (committed action on behalf of the other, even stranger or enemy, and especially the most vulnerable among us).

That is what we celebrate on Pentecost.  First, Shavuot, what became the celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments on Sinai - God's commanded code for how we are to live with God and Neighbor.  On the celebration of The Word, the Holy Spirit's presence and power were made known, not to damage or destroy life, but to open minds and hearts.  The Holy Spirit is known in UNIFYING the people in the room to see that they hold much more in common than their differences.  The Holy Spirit spoke, and people understood in whatever language they knew, the Word.  The Word is Life.  The Word is Shalom.  The Word is Unity.  The Word is Agape Love.  Community was formed in spite of differences.  Commonalities are the foundation of building that community, in which the people were of one heart and mind, lived in harmony, committed to the well-being of one another and found a new, shared context.

For some, Jesus is just the last prophet who came to give God's Will through God's Word.  For others, Jesus is Son of God, Lord and Savior, the Messiah.  The Spirit of God is the Spirit of God.  Either way, the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, points to Jesus' Way of being children of God - a better way for us, a sustainable way for us and a faithful Way for us - the Way of Jesus in the living of Agape Love.

The whole book of ACTS is a witness to this drawing together around Agape Love, and the wondrous transformations that can take place when people find unity in their commonalities.  

Whatever your ethnicity or faith background, first language or economic class, the Way of Agape Love is the only real, sustainable Way for humanity to survive and thrive.  It is the only faithful Way to live with God, according to Rabbi, Prophet, Savior and Lord Jesus, the Christ.

We are never alone.  God is with us.  That is to be both, a comfort and a reminder of our accountability to God and one another.  We have not been orphaned or abandoned.  It may feel like it sometimes, but the Spirit of God is working on us, within us to bring transformation within each of us, in our communities and in our world.  That transformation can bring sustainable and abundant life if we have minds and hearts open to it.  The world, empire will bring destruction and despair, if we continue to close our minds and hearts to the living of Agape Love.  We have seen the results of that all too clearly.  God is working to help us find the other way, the sustainable way, the justice way, the Way of Agape.

God is working on us.  We need to work on ourselves and show the wisdom of the Way of Agape Love to those around us, in order that the transformation to sustainable living may happen in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.