Gospel of Mark, chapter 9:40-41

Many of us believe in the old saying: “a place for everything and everything in its place,” True, but not entirely true. When it comes to God’s Spirit, the old adages of the past do not fit. The Spirit of God will not be pigeonholed or relegated to some comfortable little slot in our lives and dealings. The Spirit beckons us to be alert; to see through new eyes; and to discover God in every aspect of creation. The Spirit, like an unseen breeze, motivates us to live life more fully, always in accord with the example of the Lord for the Spirit and the lord are one.

Jesus warns His followers about resisting the Spirit; reminding them that no matter what their position as disciples, they are not in charge of God’s Holy Spirit. As Christians, this lesson is one we continually need to call to mind and seriously take to heart. Refusing to acknowledge the good deeds and gifts of others is surely one of the greatest of “scandals” among Christians, and deserves the heaviest of millstones.

Jesus’s disciples were guilty of hoarding the Spirit when they tried to prevent others “not of their company” from doing good deeds. But, this is not the Christian attitude that Jesus proposed. Jesus did not come for a special clique or class of people. He came as the Savior of all people, and His spirit is for everyone.

All of us have our own unique lifestyle that is an extension of our culture and background. To live in the Spirit means living with a special kind of style; the kind that is modeled on the example of Christ. It means, among other things, being a person who combines strength with the gentleness of the Lord. Without strength, gentleness softens into sentimentality. Without gentleness, strength is transformed into tyranny. Taken together, they make for a graceful beauty or lifestyle which we term, Christian.

A Christian is one who who knows the meaning of living in the Spirit.

Fr. Hugh Duffy