[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during March 2023]
Pupils following the English curriculum of a previous century would have been introduced to the rich resources of English literature. Long before the arrival of the age of digital education we were encouraged to commit to memory various extracts from plays and poetry. Some of those memories can be quite persistent, here is one such example:
Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by.
These words were written by English poetess Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) but the concept of the wind being invisible goes back much further. Consider these words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John:
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3 v8 [NIVUK]
However, there is a problem – modern meteorology does allow us to know where the wind is coming from, where it is going and even when it will get there. Anemometers can measure the speed of the wind and the observations described in the Beaufort scale of wind force can demonstrate the effects of the wind but, nevertheless, we still cannot see the wind itself. Does this understanding of the wind make the words of Jesus irrelevant or even obsolete?
Jesus always used illustrations that were appropriate to those who were listening to him. In this case he was talking with Nicodemus and the primary topic was the need for rebirth through the Holy Spirit. The characteristics of the wind were used to show how the Holy Spirit works, unseen but recognisable by its effects.
How can we recognise the effects of the Holy Spirit? There is a spiritual equivalent of the Beaufort scale? In his letter to the churches in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5 v22-23 [NIVUK]
This is not just a piece of literature that we could memorise (although there are benefits in doing so) but rather it offers us guidelines to both recognise the work of the Holy Spirit in other people and reflect it in our lives. Of course, we will need help.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,
that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure.[1]
Resources:
[1] Edwin Hatch (1878)
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Last week’s reflection: Giving Up
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys
Thank you Steve for this reflection. We certainly need the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.