The Holy Spirit is disruptive (Pentecost)

(The tale of this homily is a tale of life as pastor of three parishes becoming one. Some weeks are just not long enough. I could not begin this homily until Friday afternoon, and I ran out of time; the next day featured the ordination of priests in Cincinnati, after which, confessions and Mass. So I typed out what appears below, only the first half of the homily! Below, I'll add notes describing what I added, and intended to write out, but could not get to.)

When we talk about the Holy Spirit, Scripture gives us several images.

Ezekiel and the Book of Acts describe a powerful wind.

Jesus himself refers to “rivers of living water.” 

The Book of Acts also refers to fire – as does the Sequence.

There you have it: Wind, Water and Fire. 

It sounds like the name of a rock band.

Let’s look at each of these.

Wind or even breath: when we get the wind knocked out of us, 

that’s a terrifying moment; we’re immobile.

A breeze is awfully welcome when it’s hot, 

but a strong wind will reshape things, 

knocking down what we imagine is permanent.

Water is necessary for life. Did you know the Sahara Desert 

was once a lush forest? If the rains came back, so would life.

But here again: however gentle the rain or a babbling brook,

water is a force that ultimately will prevail.

Think of the Grand Canyon.

When we think of fire, you and I know 

both how essential it is, and how powerful.

All three images have this in common: they transform.

All three are mightier than you and I are.

They will overwhelm us if we try to stand in their way.

But if we cooperate?

That power, that transformation, brings life and beauty.

A thousand years ago, life moved pretty slowly. 

You could be born and live and die in a small village 

and never visit more than 100 miles in any direction. 

That’s not the world you and I live, even if sometimes we wish we did.

I invite you to consider that we can either be overwhelmed by change, be discouraged by it, or we can place some trust in the Holy Spirit 

that the mighty wind, the rushing water, the purifying fire –

However unpredictable and however disruptive, 

nevertheless is bringing, not darkness, but light; 

not destruction but new creation.

I concluded this homily by making several points:

- Citing Flannery O'Connor, God's grace is always working for our good, but it may not always be pleasant. Hence, the disruptions of the Holy Spirit may not be pleasant, but they are for our supreme good.

- That doesn't mean all the change we are experiencing is only and always what the Holy Spirit wants; the changes our parishes have gone through are the best we can manage, we hope the Holy Spirit prevails.

- But even in the best-case scenario, where the Holy Spirit prevails utterly, there will be disruption and challenge, so we shouldn't be surprised.

- I made a further point that, even the worst changes can be fruitful, citing the story of Chuck Colson, who was powerful in the Nixon Administration, caught up in Watergate, endured a spectacular fall, ending up in prison. Yet his life was transformed, and he gave the rest of his life to transforming others, and he would say as awful as his fall was, the fruit was worth it.