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2014-06-08 Daniel
Daring
(Comments welcome here)
Filled with the
Spirit of God or with new wine?
It was a vocational school, which I did
not like. Yet since I had not passed the college entrance exam that year, I did
not have much choice. I wanted to quit but I did not have enough courage. One
day there was a school party. With some friends, I had a few bottles of beer
before joining the party. The moment we entered I saw one teacher, who gave me a
very hard time. I was ready to fight but, thanks to my friends, it all ended up
with harsh words. The following day I was out of that school. The Latin word for
``spirit'' and ``alcohol'' is the same: ``spiritus''. Alcohol, like the Spirit,
makes us bold and talkative. However, there is difference between the two.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us the story of the coming of
the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples of Jesus. However, the liturgical
reading cuts the story short, omitting the reaction of the onlookers: ``And all
were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 'What does this mean'? Others
mocking said, 'They are filled with new wine''' (Acts 2:12-13). Peter, noticing
the laughing comments, tried to explain that it was too early for being drunk.
We do not know whether he was able to convince those mockers.
Mocking charismatic people is not unusual. The family of Jesus thought that he
was out of his mind (Mk 3:21)
and Jewish biblical experts from Jerusalem announced that he was under the
influence of an evil spirit (Mk 3:22).
The members of Charismatic Renewal were given a hard time by some bishops and
priests. Pope Francis shocked many when on Holy Thursday he washed the feet
of prisoners instead of the clerics. There are some who have problems with his
actions and public statements and one can even find opinions on the Internet
that he is being influenced by a bad spirit. Why is it so hard to distinguish
the real source of words and actions that challenge the status quo?
Today we celebrate Pentecost. Are we open to the Holy Spirit's coming?
Probably not. We are afraid of the Spirit and we sense that He is unpredictable.
We prefer a ``holy water baptism'' instead of the ``holy Spirit baptism''. Water
will flow over and life will be as usual. Not so with the Spirit. He will enter
and we will be transformed in such a way that even those who know us well, will
not be able to recognize us. The Jewish religious leaders were surprised seeing
the courage of Peter and John and hearing their powerful preaching (Acts 4:13).
The superiors and confessors of St. Faustina were amazed listening to her deep
spiritual experiences. The Spirit leads us away from our comfort zones into the
peripheries. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to face the devil (Mk
1:12-13). Paul was led by the Spirit to Jerusalem, where he was going to be
persecuted and imprisoned (Acts 20:22-23). Yet neither of them gave up their
mission. How many contemporary Christians are willing to leave the comfort of
their homes and communities and move into the ``deserts'' of our contemporary
world? At the first thought of such challenge fear paralyzes us. One may try to
remove such fears with a few drinks but it does not lead to transformation. Fear
can only be removed by the presence of the Spirit.
Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist, coined a phrase: ``spiritus contra
spiritum''. ``Spiritus'' means the Spirit of God, whereas ``spiritum'' stands
for any kind of ``spirits" or "addiction'' that control our lives. The
difference is enormous. If the disciples of Jesus were filled with new wine or
carried by emotions they would not last long. The challenges of preaching the
Gospel in the Roman Empire would easily break their spirit. A drink can give a
momentary high but then one ends up with a hangover. The sheer fact that against
all odds they succeeded makes it clear that on that day of Pentecost it was the
Spirit of Jesus that fell on them.
What carries you through life? Is it the Spirit of God or other sorts of
spirits?
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