The Spirit Descends upon the earth, charging it with an understanding of peace and hope, a truth of justice.Two visitors from Africa came to my office in May of 2005. Victoire, a poet and a senator in the Ivory Coast, fights for children’s and women’s rights in a country where their abuse is common. Herve is an artist from Benin, one of the poorest countries in Africa, the poorest continent in the world. Herve is poor yet gave me a generous gift I deeply cherish – a painting that hangs on the wall in my office. The colors, the beauty, and even more, the symbolism immediately capture the imagination. When I asked him what had inspired the painting, his face lit up as he excitedly told his story. Herve imagined a dove hovering over Africa as that Spirit of understanding and peace whose gifts flow down into and among the people. – speaking different languages yet united by the Spirit in peace, hope, and love. The hands – as well as the border of the painting – are drawn from paint made from African clay, materials of nature reminding us that we are one with the earth, fashioned by a God who deeply loves us and remains intimately connected with each of us, with all creation. When Herve ended his story, we stood silently admiring his work of art. As I recall that day, I hear Herve’s voice revealing profound hope and optimism for the people of Africa, even though many Africans still suffer. In the midst of genocide, racism, poverty, hunger, disease, and thirst – the evils that have been a crucifixion for the people in Darfur, Rwanda, Benin, and many other parts of Africa – Herve’s art teaches us about the God of all people and religions. God loves us and sends the Spirit upon us to heal the broken in our world – our world charged with the grandeur and grace of the Holy Spirit. Today we call upon that Spirit to open our minds and hearts so that we might fashion a world filled with the understanding that leads to hope and peace and truth that leads to justice. The story in Acts is about both us, people of all times and places, and the pilgrim people who had gathered from the four corners of the earth in Jerusalem. Today Jews, Muslims, and Christians still gather with hope for peace in Jerusalem, the holiest of cities. Those first-century people in Jerusalem were bewildered when they heard the Apostles speaking in their own native languages. Imagine hearing my message today in the Spanish of Mexico City, the Tagalog of Manila, the Japanese of Tokyo, or the Fon of Benin, Africa. We too would be bewildered until we realized that the Spirit is in our midst. Then, once touched by the Spirit, no longer are people separated from God or splintered by language, by culture. Confusion, distrust, fear, and misunderstanding give way to wonder and harmony. And that community then lives by knowledge, goodness, and mercy. Even as people of differing religions and cultures, we can learn from Jesus. Luke’s story is about Jesus beginning his ministry of compassion. After forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert, he goes to his hometown of Nazareth and enters the village synagogue. Imagine him standing up, unrolling the scroll, and reading from the prophetic words of Isaiah. Jesus says that, from that day forward, he will walk the hillsides and village roads, telling the world that the poor are favored by God, healing prisoners of broken hearts, opening the eyes of the blind, curing the sick, showing compassion to all he meets. His is the story of the truth and life to be lived by us; he never limited his love only to the poor or physically blind or prisoner – he extends his love to all for all times. And the Spirit that descended upon Jesus is the same Spirit that touched the early community, Herve and Victoire, and us. Now it’s our turn to heal the broken parts of the world. We bring the good news to the world when we seek and use knowledge for truth and justice – and when we give the poor their voice and become voices for those denied an education or denied their human rights by oppressive governments. We heal those imprisoned by ignorance when we discover, use, and share knowledge and truth with the poor and educated alike. We cure those blinded by hate and anger when we do not tolerate prejudice and discrimination against any person such as new immigrants, gays, our black or Asian or Mexican neighbors, the physically and mentally disabled. We teach the ways of love when we embrace as gifts in our communities people of all languages, all cultures, all religions, and all national origins. Isaiah makes clear that the earth will be filled with knowledge and the glory of God when Muslin, Jew, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, persons of any religion or no religion can sit at the one table of friendship, hope, and peace. We come here from the four corners of earth and speak many languages. We ask the Spirit to inspire us to learn from and with and for each other. We also join with all people on earth in our common search for the truth that brings justice and for the knowledge that brings peace. Then will the world become more humane, peace filled, just; then will we walk in friendship with God. And we will know that the world is charged with the grandeur of God as the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote so well, noting that there "lives the dearest freshness" deep down in things: Because the Holy Ghost over the bent world |
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