Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 103)
Tantalising references are made to the spirit (small “s”) throughout the Old Testament, and we are kept wondering. The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets individually, but not all the people as a whole. The prophet Joel gives us a glimpse into what is to come: a great and universal outpouring of the Spirit.
Finally, in the Lord’s own time and in His own way – that is to say, in the way we least expect it – the Holy Spirit is given to us. Jesus gives the Spirit to his disciples in an intimate ceremony, first of all, designating them Apostles first and, then, bestowing upon them the power to forgive sins.
Then, in an exciting manifestation of fire, joy and heavenly power, the Apostles spread the Good News from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
Happy Pentecost.
