Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.'

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Tomorrow we celebrate Jesus' Ascension into Heaven, and our reading from John's Gospel is a reminder of what will happen after that at Pentecost (Whitsun!) when the Holy Spirit will come to the disciples. We humans find it much easier to believe in concrete things that we can feel and touch, so Ascension and Pentecost can cause some people difficulties. Yet many of the most basic things in the universe are those that we cannot see. Love is invisible, yet it drives the wheels of life. Truth is invisible, but its effect is unmistakable. Personality is invisible, but what a dynamic force personality is. Conscience is invisible yet where conscience exists, men and women will go to their death for its sake.

In today's reading Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth! He is to reveal God's truth, and as any good teacher knows such a complex subject can only be taught from simple principles, after all we don't teach a small child algebra first. We teach them to count their numbers! As the child matures more complex things are taught. So with the disciples, and with us. The Spirit will teach us as we are able to receive it.

God reveals all Truth through the Holy Spirit, not just to the Church, but to the world. He inspires scientists to find cures for illnesses like the corona virus; musicians to write music that inspires our souls, like that of 'Amazing Grace', by John Newton; and even AI initiated by the early work of Alan Turing on mathematics and computers. Truth is God's gift to us, but it is up to us to use it wisely. It is also up to us to go on learning, allowing God to teach us as we are able to understand.

Holy Spirit,
You reveal Truth to men and women,
as they are able to receive it
and are open to using it.
Keep us ever open to receiving Your wisdom,
and to use it to help others.
May we continue to grow as Christians
by listening to Your prompts
in whichever way they come -
through the spoken word of friends,
through television or other media,
or through the quiet voice
that is our conscience.
Amen.