The Day of Pentecost places the Holy Spirit front and center. That third person of the Blessed Trinity, alongside the Father and the Son, is, perhaps, the most mysterious, the most provocative, and the most elusive of the three.

And yet, we receive hints as to the Holy Spirit’s whereabouts, movement, and power as we move through Holy Scripture. There is the sense, for those looking, that she is right there behind and a part of the action and yet unable to be fully grasped or articulated.

C.S. Lewis, in his beloved Chronicles of Narnia, [1] respects these aspects of the Spirit, writing her into the narrative in a similar fashion to how she is portrayed in Scripture. The Spirit’s presence is evident, yet she is never named nor addressed. Never in direct communication nor a recipient of the same. She is merely hinted at and, as in Scripture, these hints often come in the form of the elements: particularly air, water, and fire. [2] So, let’s take these in turn.

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This is the last Sunday in the Easter Season. We have come to that point in the Book of Acts where our Lord is lifted up and out of sight, leaving the apostles standing, necks craned back, and eyes trained on the heavens. We have come to that point in First Peter where final words are offered. And, we have come to that point in Saint John’s Gospel where Jesus, speaking to the Father, reflects, that the hour has come.

Next Sunday is Pentecost, a new liturgical season, and yet we remain aware that something significant is happening now –a changing landscape, tender farewells, and a sense of the unknown waiting for us right around the corner.

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Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:16)

This Sunday, we are called to a very specific task by Peter: that we always be ready to defend the hope that is within us.

The hope that is within us.

So, without further ado, I ask you this: are you ready? Are you ready to defend the hope that is in you?

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Jesus draws those around him close, those faithful disciples who have struggled, followed, loved, risked, lived with Jesus. He draws them close, knowing that he is going to be arrested and put to death, and he says to them, in a few different ways: Soon I won’t be with you anymore. Soon you’ll look for me but won’t see me. Soon you’ll reach for me but won’t find me. Not in the ways that you’ve come to expect.

He seems to say, soon you may be angry. Disappointed. Confused. Discouraged. Isolated. Disbelieving. Afraid. Despairing. Hopeless. 

Soon, you will grieve.

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These green pastures are a place of plenty. A place of hope. A place that reminds us of an eternal truth: that God wishes for us all to have life, and to have life abundant.

God longs for us to rest our minds and our bodies; to breathe deeply and surely; to know that we are being held in the arms of the one who calls us beloved; he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul.

Friends, our current times can easily lead to soul-weariness. We long for certainty; and are confronted by the unknown. We long for safety and are confronted by a world that often lacks stability. We long for control and are confronted by our own limitations. Our souls rightly grow weary. And yet, there is the promise of restoration.

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