Acts
2:1-21
It
looks like we could manage with what we have already: Creator God and
we have God in human form - Christ.
So
it seems that all people need is to
- recognise life as a gift from the Creator, and
- shape our lives like Christ.
I
think that's mostly how we would see it. People like me, perhaps
people like you, know it's up to us to take charge of ourselves.
Faith is a responsibility. We need to take responsibility ourselves
for doing what's right. It is a responsibility we take seriously by
remembering to be thankful and working on being good Christians, good
followers of the way.
Life
is a gift, yes. And Christ-shaped living is how humans best respond
to this gift. That is how to live life to its max, in other words,
have life in its fullness.
That
is faith, Christian faith: thankfulness and love-based living.
But
there's one more thing, one more leg to complete the stool. These
two alone are not the whole story: what's need is the wind and fire.
Impetus, energy, vitality from outside to inside.
Wind
and fire. Fearful and powerful. Out of the control of those
experiencing it.
Giving birth means giving up control. Every mother here will recall that reality. And quite likely every father who got a chance to be present. Whether it is the birth of a baby, the birth of a movement that spread around the world (our Acts reading), or the whole creation as we heard from Romans, creation in microcosm or macrocosm or everything in between birthing new forms of life – groaning in labour pains as transformations happen.
How important is control to you?
How
big is the fear you have of what can't be controlled?
Think of some examples of that ...
The earth moving, as in a big earthquake, is a very clear example.
A storm blowing up suddenly while you're on the open sea in your small boat.
The weather - and your livelihood depends on it.
A car accident.
A health problem...
A health problem...
etc. etc.
The
biblical good news is that we can let go full control and trust God.
Trust
God meaning (among other things):
thankfulness
for life – trusting God the Creator, God the Father/Mother
commitment
to live the Christ-way – trusting God in Christ, God the Son
and
openness
to wherever the breath of God, the wind, the fire, the prodding, the
energy shake up, will take us – trusting God who makes new, God the
mid-wife, God the Spirit.
But
how on earth do
we let go and let that happen?
How
on earth,
without heaven's
impulse? That's the way this earth/heaven language is helpful. It's
only something outside of us that can enable it to be.
