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“LetUsBreathe”Rev.DavidGregory

May31,2020Pentecost

FirstreadingActs2:1-4adaptedfromTheAmplifiedBible

WhenthedayofPentecosthadcome,theywerealltogetherinoneplace,andsuddenlyasoundcamefromheavenlikearushingviolentwind,anditfilledthewholehousewheretheyweresitting.Thereappearedtothemtonguesresemblingfire,whichwerebeingdistributedamongthem,andtheyrestedoneachoneofthem.AndtheywerealldiffusedthroughouttheirbeingwiththeHolySpiritandbegantospeakindifferentlanguages,astheSpiritwasgivingthemtheabilitytospeak.

SecondreadingAnnaBlaedelfromLiturgyThatMatterspublishedandcopyrightedbytheonlinecommunityenfleshed.com

Whatevermyriadforcesareworkingtoconfine,constrict,orcontrol,theSpiritstillmanifests.Shemovesoutsideofthelines.Shesurprisesus.Sheenablesourcapacitytodoandbeapartofholythingsthatwemayotherwisecountourselvesunworthyorincapableof.TheSpiritpaysnoregardtosocialhierarchiesofvalue.Whereverheartsareopen,whereverthereiscryingout,wherevercourageisbrewing,Sheisthere.Impatientwithevil,shecomeswithurgencyandbreaksopennewpathwaysandpossibilities,wildwithlife.

Inthelastthreemonths,we’vebeenadjustingtoanewwayoflife,takingtherhythmsofthethingsweknow,andinterpretingthemthroughanentirelynewlens,andtoday’scelebrationofPentecostisnoexception.PentecostwasayearlyJewishharvestfestival,andtheoccasionthatbroughtsomanyofJesus’sfollowersbacktoJerusalem.Atthetime,therewasnosuchthingasChristianityorthechurch,andasalways,itisimportanttorememberthateveryChristianrootgrowsinJewishsoil.So,whatChristianscelebrateasPentecostisperhapsthefirstfloweringfruittreecomingfromthatsoil,orthesensatefulfillmentofthepromisethatwasmade,“Lo,Iamwithyoualways.”

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Forthepost-modernchurch,Pentecoststillexistsasthecapstoneoftheyearlystorythatwetell.ItbeginsinAdventwithgestationandbirth,thenmovestogrowthandenlightenmentorepiphany,followedbyconfrontationanddeath.Butthisdeath,we’retold,isnottheend.Thereisnewlifetobehadintheresurrection,andonceitarrives,thereisnothingbutpowerandlight.Therestofthestoryisaboutpluggingintotheexpansionofthispowerandlight,takingleapsforwardinanevolvingstoryuntilDecembercomes,andwebeginthenarrativealloveragain,eachtimearoundgrowingtonewheightsofloveandawareness,whileourrootsdeepeninthehardworkofpeaceandjustice.

ThisPentecostSundayhighlightstheimportanceofthishardwork,asournationreelsfromthemurderofanotherinalonglineofAfricanAmericanmenwhoareroutinelysingledoutasvictimsofraciallyinspiredviolence.Collectively,weexperiencethesedishearteningeventswhichplayoutinrealtime,deliveredtoourmanyscreens,sickeningusbeyondimagination,barelygivingusamomenttogrieveforonebeforethenextonecomesalong.Andsotoday,thecollectivepowerandlightofChristianwitnessrequiresthatwesay,“ENOUGH!”Andsayingitisonlythebeginning;wehavetotakeactionstostopit.Ifwefailtoact,wecannotclaimtohavebeenenlightened.It’sthatsimple.

Ihavesaiditoftenthattheword“spirit”isjustaseasilytranslated“wind”or“breath,”soIfinditincrediblyironicthattheweekwecelebratethe“DivineBreath”isnowpunctuatedwiththewords,“Ican’tbreathe.”WhatcouldgrievetheHolyBreathofGodmorethanthelossofthatBreathatthehands—ormoreaccuratelyattheknees—ofthosewhoshownorespectforhumanlife,norecognitionoftheirowninherentracism,andsimplynocommondecency?

MygenerationcameofageduringtheCivilRightsmovementofthe1960’s,andlikemanyothers,Isawinthatmovementameasureofsuccess.TheCivilRightsAct,theVotingRightsAct,thedesegregationofschools,AffirmativeAction,HeadStart,thebroadeningofthesocialsafetynet;allofthesethingsseemedtoindicatethatthescourgeofracismwaswaning.AtleastthatwashowitseemedwhereIgrewup.WhatIfailedtorecognizethroughthelensofmyownwhiteprivilegewasthattheracismwhichhaspersistedsincethefoundingofournationonlywentunderground,waitingforothertimesandplaceswhenitcouldbeinvitedtosurfaceagainandagain.Weareinoneofthosetimes,andracismcontinuestobeinvitedtothesurfacebythehighestlevelsofourleadership.

ThisweekittookthelifeofGeorgeFloyd;beforethatBreonnaTaylor;beforethatAhmaudArbery,andanendlesslistofnamesgoingbackhundredsofyears.Untilwefindacollectiveconscience,apoliticalwill,andthemoralfortitudetochangethesituationonceandforall,thesemurderswillnotonlykeephappening,butwillincrease.

Weliketosaythatwe’refollowersofJesus,theinsurgentwhonotonlyspoketruthtopoweragainsttheinequitiesandinjusticesofhistimes,butalsoputhislifeonthelineforthattruth.Weliketosaythatwearecommittedtosocialjusticeforallmarginalizedpeople,forpeopleofcolor,forimmigrants,forthosewithdisabilities,forthoseofvaryinggenderidentityandexpression.Butacommitmentthatdoesnotresultintangibleactionisnotacommitment.Wehavetodosomething.

Peoplearechoosingtodoallkindsofthingsinthewakeofthelatestoutrage.Unfortunately,someofthosethingshaveturneddestructive,andhavehurtminoritybusinessownersandtheirneighborsintheprocess.Forthoseofuswhoremembertheriotsofthe60’s,thisiseerilyfamiliar—theparadox

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ofunderstandingrageandangerwhilelongingforpeacefulandlastingsolutions.MartinLutherKingwasamodelofadifferentpath,andifweeverneededhismovementfornon-violetsocialchangeitisnow.Thenagain,itwashismurderatthehandsofawhitemanthatignitedsomeoftheworstviolenceinourmemory.

Wesharedinoneoftoday’sreadingsanexcerptfromthewordsofAnnaBlaedel,theologian-in-residencefortheonlinecommunityknownas“Enfleshed.”Isubscribetotheirweeklyofferingcalled“LiturgyThatMatters,”andforaPentecostlikenonebeforeit,Icouldfindnomoreappropriatestatementthanthis:

TheSpiritpaysnoregardtosocialhierarchiesofvalue.Whereverheartsareopen,whereverthereiscryingout,wherevercourageisbrewing,Sheisthere.Impatientwithevil,shecomeswithurgencyandbreaksopennewpathwaysandpossibilities,wildwithlife.

Notonlyareweembroiledinapandemicandaseriouseconomicdownturn,notonlyareweworriedaboutaboutthesustainabilityofourdemocracyandsocialstructures,butnowthesamebacklashwe’veseeninthepastagainsttheviolenceofracismhasreturnedtoourstreetsonceagain.AndsoinourcelebrationstodayofHolySpirit,wesimplymustembraceherimpatiencewithevilandmakeitourown.Wemustwatchasshebreaksopennewpathwaysandpossibilitiesandtakeituponourselvestowieldthem.

Learntouseyoursmartphonecamera.Learntopostthevideos.Holdpeopleaccountablefortheiractions.Writeletters.Sendemails.Askeveryoneyouknow—andeventhoseyoudon’t—iftheyareregisteredtovote,andassistthemanywayyoucan.Standonstreetcornerswavingsigns.Honkyourhornsinsolidarity.Listenwithoutjudgmenttothecomplaintsofthedisenfranchised,andaskyourselfWhatcanIdorightnowintheirdefense?Thendothatthing.Whateveritis.Foraslongasyoucan.

Intheolddayswesanginsolidarity,“Weshallovercomesomeday.”Well,thatdayhascome,andit’scalledPentecost,becauseifwedon’tdoitnowitwillnevergetdone.OnthisPentecostSundaywepray,“OBlessedHolySpirit,infuseuswithdivineimpatience.Empowerustobreakopennewpathwaysandhavethecouragetofollowthem.Amen.”