May 1, 2019

JOHN 20:21b As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

Some call this “John’s Pentecost.”  It brings to mind the creation of human beings and their animation.  Breath is necessary. Shortness of breath is cause for alarm. Trapped under water is an awful way to die. Shallow breathing could be a sign of death or laziness.  Singers are admonished, breathe deeply, back straight and chest up to support but not impede the air. Then you can sing. Bear in mind, this will not make you a good singer it merely make singing possible.

Receive the Holy Spirit.  Whether or not one is forgiven or not, seems to me a strange place to start for growing into the full statue of Christ.   It’s like giving a child a gun, which as we know is tragic on a regular basis in 2016.

He breathed on Them Icon

That being the case, perhaps, we should swear off judging (too much) until we grow up some more.  If I remember correctly, there is something in Holy Writ, about the boomerang of judgement dispensed to someone, circling round to arrive splat (a free loose paraphrase).

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  Matthew 7:2

Let’s celebrate the balance of the Great Fifty Days of Easter by fasting judgment. Imagine how much better we’ll look without all that sin retention.

In hope, in spite of the facts.

John

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