Artwork by Anthony Chiarella, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
This Sunday was Pentecost and on Saturday the Royal Wedding occurred. That got me thinking about how we each are given fire on our baptism. Pentecost, of course, is the feast where the apostles receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire resting on their heads. At the wedding, the Most Reverend Michael Currie, Bishop Michael Currie, used the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, to remind us love is the only way: We must discover the power of love, the power, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this whole world a new world. But love, love is the only way. Currie also paraphrased Jesuit PierreTeilhard de Chardin quote: Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, (humans) will have discovered fire.
God sent the Spirit of Love on Pentecost to inspire us to set the world on fire. We are each given this gift and must decide how to use it. Many of us extinguish it and move away from our faith. Others turn down its brightness by refusing to see their own goodness and do not reach out in love to serve. Still some decide that love is indeed the only way and work hard on stoking the fire into a blaze.
I am finding that I do not always say I love you at this time. I suspect it will change. At the moment I am too overwhelmed to say it in return to everyone who tells me they love me. I am in awe of those who words are emboldened by the Light of Love. The words sear my heart in a good way–as they purify the relationships I have formed. So many of us do not comprehend the power of the redemptive power of love that Dr. King mentions. It has a power unlike any other. I urge you to discover this blaze in your own life as I seek to set my world on fire. Seek out the power of love and receive it. Discover this fire and use it in your relationships to create a whole new world.
Peace,
Suzanne
Reflection Questions
When have you received the power of love in a way that transformed your world?
How can you set the world on fire with your love?
Prayer
Fire-Starter, You want to set the world ablaze with the power of your love. May we discover this power in our own lives and help to spread it. Amen.