Staying Hope Filled

Today is Pentecost Sunday! The Church’s Official Birthday, and for believers across the world, celebratory vibes should be the order of the day. However, I have a confession to make: birthdays are a bit of a mixed blessing of late, even with mine a little over a week away. On the one hand I can safely say I will never tire of cake, dressing up, opportunities to gather loved ones together, dance until limbs ache and generally have a fantastic time. However, there is also the horrible march of time thoughts; moments where I look back on years passed with a twinge of if only and why-ever-not?  Also, things might take a tiny bit longer to do than before and let’s not even begin talking about a face and body that might not have entirely kept up with your internal (delusional perhaps?) recollection of it!

Perhaps because as Christos we are always looking at our faith from the rather pleasing lens of both Jesus arrival and resurrection and the all-important outpouring of the Holy Spirit that happened at Pentecost, we forget how much waiting preceded it. We aren’t talking a few weeks as was the case with the disciples, we are talking whole centuries. Generations of people were born, went through life’s milestones, grew old and died and still with no Jesus arrived.  It must have been pretty hard to stay poso and upbeat in I-don’t-know-which hundred BC with stretch marks, crow’s feet, a scratchy tunic to wear and stuck in a dead-end position working one of the fields with less glamourous crops growing in it. And yet that was the lot of many believers during the ages of the Prophets. A time filled with hardship and bleakness, and the proverbial locusts eating years, opportunities, chances and joy.

Joel, one of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament brings all of this to the fore: he talks about he years of lack vividly, evokes those wretched swarms of locusts eating people’s good years and captivity and every sort of hardship going. But then there is a change of tone, one that happens with the arrival of the Messiah and the restoration that follows:

“It will come about after this that I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind. And your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will have visions.” Joel 2:28

Joel was writing these words centuries before Pentecost Sunday, but there it is a promised - an outpouring of the Spirit of God. As we read the verse we see the extent of inclusiveness of this outpouring – it is for all mankind; men and women are equally blessed with the gifts of prophesy, and regardless of age all are mightily used by God.

We live an age that is obsessed with measurement. You are only as good as the external parameters out there and Youth and Beauty and Wealth are the new trinity rather than Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is simply untrue. The greatest gift, until Jesus returns once more is the Holy Spirit – which in other verses is referred to as the ‘Counsellor’.  Instead of seeking approval in the different trinities made by man, seek advice and direction from the Holy Spirit first. Trust that whatever your life stage, you are still of value to the Creator and that your contribution is vital and unique to you and of infinite import to the Kingdom. And if that piece of good news does not get you in a party mood, then just know we are living in the hope filled aftermath of all that happened before and as such can tap into the Holy Spirit whenever we need. I am off to sip some fizz and dance vigorously, I suggest you do the same!