Breathe In. Breathe Out.

“Just as breathing is the first thing we do when we enter this planet, it’s the last thing we do when we leave it.” What we do with each breath taken between these life markers is where we will find Christ in our midst.

a different look at Pentecost from John 20:19-23

Today, churches around the world are celebrating Pentecost, a day in the Christian calendar that marks the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon the disciples.

While it’s often called the birthday of the church, its roots go back all the way to the beginning of time when the Spirit of God hovered over the void and breathed life into creation.

Luke gives us a full account of the dramatic scene in the second chapter of Acts, the scripture that is typically read on Pentecost.

​In a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples with fire and force, igniting them like those birthday candles you can’t blow out. 

Barbara Brown Taylor captures this moment beautifully writing, “Before any of them could defend themselves, that mighty wind had blown through the entire house, striking sparks that burst into flames above their heads, and every one of them was filled to the gills with God’s breath.”
​
Every day since that dramatic moment, this Holy Breath has been sucked into the lungs of ordinary people like you and me empowering us to do extraordinary things.
 
But there’s another Pentecost story, one that’s less flashy and dramatic. There’s no pyrotechnics or large crowds speaking in tongues. In fact, it doesn’t happen in a public space 50 days after Easter like Luke writes. This one happens in private, behind a tightly locked door, on Easter of all days.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”                                                    -  John 20:19-23.  -

To say the Holy Spirit is a mysterious thing, is an understatement. Though much has been written about it, the best way I’ve come to understand its complexities has been through experience. And how the Holy Spirit has worked its way through my storied life. Including how it helped awaken me to this space of Anamesa.
 
The Greek word often associated with the Holy Spirit is “pneuma,” which means wind, breath, or spirit. But John uses the word “paraclete,” which is often translated as advocate, or helper.  The literal translation is more like “one called alongside.” A traveling companion of sorts.
 
Jesus describes the Spirit this way to reassure his friends that they will not be left alone in his absence. He will give them this Paraclete, a spiritual helper who will guide, convict, and reveal truth to them. In one gentle breath, Jesus fulfills this promise, blessing them as he had been blessed before he sends them out to continue what he began.
 
It always amazes me what a single breath can do. A small child can employ it to blow out candles on a cake. Dizzy Gillespie could command one of his to bend multiple notes at will. With a single breath, a groom can say, “I do” and his life will forever change. In one gentle breath, Jesus enters into the body of his disciples, filling them with a power that will transform the world.
 
The poet, Mary Oliver writes,
 
“The spirit likes to dress up like this:
ten fingers, ten toes, shoulders,
and all the rest ...
 
It could float, of course,
but would rather plumb rough matter.
Airy and shapeless thing,
it needs the metaphor of the body…”
 
John’s version of Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or power, but the very presence of God dwelling within us. Richard Rohr often describes this as the "Divine Indwelling" - the presence of God within each person that guides us towards love, compassion, and justice; the actions and experiences that lead to our spiritual growth.
 
Similarly, Barbara Brown Taylor emphasizes the Holy Spirit's role in empowering believers to live authentic and faithful lives. She encourages individuals to cultivate a receptive and responsive posture towards the Spirit, allowing it to lead us into new encounters and experiences of grace and understanding that can transform us, and draw us closer to the divine.
 
Each one of us will experience the Holy Spirit differently, because it comes to us where we are. For some it will be in a place of pain or suffering. Others out of space of hope or hopelessness. It could happen upon you quickly, like an unexpected sneeze. Or it might be gradual, revealing itself in small steady breaths. We must always be ready to meet and welcome this part of God, who is always with us, in us and among us.
 
Scripture also teaches us that with the Holy Spirit comes a variety of spiritual gifts, like wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, and tongues. Each one is given, as Paul points out, to equip believers for ministry and for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-13).
 
The Apostle encourages us to live out the fruits of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). By integrating these practices into our daily life, we unlock that space between heaven and earth while growing closer to God and to one another.
 
And so, Pentecost reminds us of how with the gentle breath of Christ moving through us, we can transform our lives and the life of our communities in powerful and meaningful ways. Isn’t this is the call of the church? And what Jesus has asked of all who choose to follow him?

 
Just as we breathe in Christ, so too must we breathe out his love and compassion in real and tangible ways; offering ourselves, our time, and services to reduce poverty, demand equality, and put an end to racism.
 
We must use his breath to advocate for peace and reconciliation. And to make our churches and communities safe and welcoming places for all people to gather regardless of our political and religious differences.
 
As Paul pointed out, the Holy Spirit equips us with spiritual gifts, talents, and unique abilities to fulfill our calling to truly love God, love others, and serve both in Jesus' name.
 
Pentecost is more than just the birthday of the church. It is a holy reminder of the sacred breath within us all. This is most important for us to remember because most of us don’t think about our breath until it’s taken from us. Four years ago, this world was suffocating from a global pandemic. If anything good came from COVID it was the reminder of how important breathing is.
 
As Taylor reminds us, “Just as breathing is the first thing we do when we enter this planet, it’s the last thing we do when we leave it.” What we do with each breath taken between these life markers is where we will find Christ in our midst.
 
Just as the Holy Spirit connects the past and the future it also meets us in the space between to helps us make plain and visible the presence of God in the church and in the world. 
 
Now, as we prepare to go out into the world, to face the fear and pain and needs of those in and outside this church, let us remember that with one gentle breath Jesus gives us his peace. With another he sends us out to be ambassadors of reconciliation, practitioners of peace, bearers of hope, and agents of change.
 
From this one, gentle breath we are given the same power, the same imagination and inspiration, the same divine Spirit that was given to him to build up God’s kingdom right here, right now.
 
So let us use our breath to live into our Christlikeness, proclaiming the good news of God’s redemptive love for all…throughout all of Anamesa. For just as we breathe in Christ, so too must we breathe him out.

​We are his hands and feet in the world. We’re his voice declaring what we know to be true. That God’s love is here, always ready to welcome us into God’s open heart.
 
May we always be the visible representatives of God’s glory revealing and sharing God’s love and grace with every breath we take until we are all breathing together in unison, and our hearts beat as one.
 
We may not always know where our faithful life will take us or what good or bad experiences we will face. But we can go boldly and faithfully forward into the unknown, knowing we will not go alone. We are never alone. We have a helper, an Advocate, breathing and burning brightly within us - illuminating the way and the world with God's love and truth.
 
With one gentle breath, Christ’s mission was set into motion - in us and in the church.
 
May we always be mindful of this power we possess, knowing and receiving this holy and everlasting gift with gladness and joy, as we proclaim the gospel boldly, love our neighbors unconditionally, and to serve one another sacrificially - one breath at a time.


  
Work Cited:
Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B. Vol 3 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2007).
Oliver, Mary. Dream Work. (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986).
Taylor, Barbara Brown. Home by Another Way. (New York: Cowley, 1999).