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…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… (Galatians 5:22).
Dear friends,
My heart continues to be heavy – another shooting, more deaths from COVID, political discord, continuing war, economic crises, global warming (affecting less developed nations more strongly than developed ones) …where and when does the pain stop? Where and when and how do we change the world, pursue the world God intended us to inhabit? I cannot believe this is the world God wants, that Jesus moves us into or that the Spirit empowers us for.
My friend and colleague, Michael Piazza, wrote in his own devotional “Liberating Word” this morning reminding us that Pentecost is being celebrated on Sunday. “The church will celebrate the holy day of Pentecost on Sunday. Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power. It seems this gift is needed now more than ever…Spiritual power is counter-cultural for we intellectuals and liberals, but maybe desperation will motivate us to turn our faces heavenward. In a mystical way, God’s Spirit may transform us and help us find a source of strength and power, if not for ourselves then for our children.”[1]
The Galatians scripture quoted above is one of the scriptures that reminds us of what the gifts of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How do we live into these gifts in these days? Perhaps the wisdom comes from a Matthew West song I heard the other day, “Humble and Kind.” The refrain of the song is:
“Hold the door, say ‘Please’, say ‘Thank you’
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind” [2]
And the last refrain shifts just a little:
“Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're going don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind.”[3]
Perhaps we can move more toward using the gifts and fruits of the Spirit in the coming days. Maybe the Holy Sprit will empower us to pray and talk and act to create the world God hoped for at creation. That is my prayer.
Blessings,
Bonnie
[1] Piazza, Michael, Liberating Word, accessed June 2, 2022
[2] McKenna, Lori, songwriter, Humble and Kind, recorded by Matthew West, accessed June2, 2022 Tim McGraw - Humble and Kind Lyrics | Lyrics.com
[3] Ibid.
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