Pentecost 2015

Traditionally we say that Pentecost is the birth of the Church. That is true, but if we accept that belief without any real critical reading, then we miss the entire point of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was not “making” the Church - the Holy Spirit was not creating an institution with all its rules and structures. The Holy Spirit was gathering a community of disciples together and sending them forth into the world to continue the work that Jesus began: to heal the world. If we were to understand Pentecost from this perspective, we would see that the Holy Spirit at Pentecost gave birth to a MOVEMENT that is dynamic and relevant to all cultures and in different ages.

The Holy Spirit descended upon the believers for them to fully engage in the “JESUS MOVEMENT”: That is a movement centered around love and forgiveness.This movement was born in a society that was torn apart by violence. At the time of Jesus, all the resources of the known world were funneled to the top, that is, everything went upwards to benefit Cesar. When people refused or even resisted giving their alliance to Cesar, swift punishment followed. People were forced to comply with the system. When people didn’t “go along” surrogate enforcers were integrated into the society to force compliance. Social systems were compromised to weed out “rebels” and religious systems were compromised to ensure a passive population that allowed themselves to be preoccupied with the details of ritual purity rather than asking the big questions about injustice and exploitation.

Jesus initiated a movement to QUESTION the legitimacy of such a system. His message was simple: love and forgive. “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Loving and forgiving pay attention to those who were left out and left behind. Loving and forgiving bid us to pay more attention to the suffering of the neighbor more than searching out heretics or maintaining purity for ritual sacrifice. Love makes us bold enough to ask the question, “Why ISN’T love enough?” Love makes us focus on the situation at hand, not an abstract law. “What does love demand of us in THIS situation?”  Love makes the choice clear: to love my neighbor, to support my neighbor, to mend divisions between myself and my neighbor…or to not care for my neighbor and let the division grow.

The JESUS MOVEMENT was set in motion the moment Jesus rose from the baptismal waters and preached Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” The MOVEMENT was proven indestructible - Jesus ROSE from the dead.  The MOVEMENT was given to all generations and all humankind: PENTECOST. So let’s look at the origins of Pentecost.

Pentecost originates in the Jewish feast, “Shavuot.”  Shavuot celebrates the reception of the Torah. The festival is connected to Passover - that celebrated the liberation of the slaves from Egypt and Shavuot reminds the Jewish community that liberation is completed only when we work to liberate others.  The giving of the Law reminds the Jewish community the simple phrase, "All that the LORD says we will do.”  The gift of the Christian meaning of the celebration of Pentecost is derived from our Jewish roots.  For Christians, the law given to us is the LAW OF LOVE. “‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” And again, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  The Jewish admonition still applies, “All that the Lord says, we will do.”

So now, let’s look at the beatification of Monsignor Oscar Romero. The beatification of Oscar Romero taking place on Pentecost signals to the entire Catholic world that the work and mission of the CHURCH is in fact to walk with and advocate for the poor. This beatification also signals a radical departure from being a Church that was more concerned about compliance with our teaching, adherence to prescribed liturgical rubrics, obedience to authority, and working politely behind the scenes to help the poor, (but not at the expense of the rich). 

Brothers, how I wish I burn in the hearts of everyone this great idea: Christianity is not simply a collection of truths in which we are obligated to believe, or laws that must obey or a list of prohibitions! Such a concept of Christianity is rather repugnant. Christianity is above all things, about a person, one who loved me so much that in return, demands my love. The Christian faith is the person of Jesus Christ.  (November 6, 1977)

Now let’s return to Pentecost’s admonition, “All that the Lord says, we will do…”. Does this not demand that we address the issues of injustice not simply with words, but with our LIVES? Is it enough that we wring our hands in frustration with the condition of the poor? No! Is it enough that proclaim absolution over the penitent, and yet not lift a finger to help our sister or brother deal with the conditions that led them to sin? No! Is a handshake sufficient in demonstrating our solidarity with our brother and sister? No! Pentecost demands so much more than a silent prayer, a feeling of frustration over injustice, a proclamation of forgiveness or a handshake. We cannot remain blind and deaf to the realities of those who suffer; Pentecost demands that we get involved in the movement of liberation. We forgive sins by welcoming everyone to the table, Pentecost is the spirit of liberation, it is the spirit of a MOVEMENT in which all people must be made free. Our part in this movement is to participate in God’s plan of liberation.

I want to close our reflection with the prayer attributed to Oscar Romero.

It helps, now and then, to step back

and take the long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,

it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of

the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete,

which is another way of saying

that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:

We plant seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything

and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something,

and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,

an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,

but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders,

ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.