Franciscan Fractals: “The Holy Spirit’s Fuel”
Contemplating today’s culture with the wisdom of Jesus and St. Francis.
The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8
The season of Pentecost has begun once again with the Holy Spirit’s power taking center stage. We are immersed in Christ through the water of our baptism, and infused with God’s power through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Our baptism is like receiving a brand-new car. We feel good sitting behind the steering wheel, and we inhale the accolades that are issued by others. Lining up with our car in the parking lot with others who are baptized gives us a chance to create a small, intimate group of those with similar experiences. It feels good. That is until the Holy Spirit arrives and shines a powerful headlight on us.
While the car may be new and shiny, it can go nowhere without fuel. Cars without fuel simply sit parked in a lot and can face only one direction. We have the title and the keys to the car, but that is about it. Many of us are comfortable sitting in our cars in this manner. We like being in a mental parking lot with others who see the world as we do in like-minded ways. There is little risk in standing still. However, parked cars will never move into what they are created for without fuel, and neither will we.
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. The Holy Spirit is the fuel of our baptism. If we feel “stuck” in our Christian life with a routine that does not fulfill us, it may be that our car is still in the parking lot. Like our car, our baptism, is still there, but there is no fuel in the tank. We are left “looking good,” but have no real connection with the rest of the world.
Asking for the Holy Spirit to fill us is a dangerous task. Like fuel in our car, the Holy Spirit powers up our baptismal covenant with God. We are asked and given the opportunity to drive into the unknown. No more parking lot, no more stability, no more certitude. Route 66 here we come!
Once on the road, we begin to find our calling. Our joy is not in “looking good,” but in “being the good” for others. We start to see the world through the eyes of others. We find opportunities to love in different ways. We begin to depend totally on God’s love, and we quit trying to figure out where the road is taking us. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit travels the road with us. However, she goes where she chooses, and we will never know from where she came or to where she is going.
Remember, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that allows us to fuel our relationship with Christ. Parking lots are far too safe of a place to experience Christ’s unconditional love. On the road and led by the Holy Spirit, we can leave behind our preoccupation with self, set aside the worries about what others think of us, and concentrate on how God is going to use us in this world created in love.
Prayers and Blessings,
Fr. John
