The apostles were commissioned by Jesus to be his witnesses to the world. But as soon as Jesus leaves them, they go to their upper room and hide themselves. And we are left only to imagine what they talked about in that room. Someone may have said that there was no way that they could afford to go into the entire world. Someone else may have suggested that it was dangerous to leave that upper room, for who would do the work if they were killed or thrown in prison. Perhaps another disciple said that they were no good at evangelism, or they were too old, too tired, or too poorly educated to speak of what moves them towards God. That upper room must have felt so safe, so comfortable. They were afraid of the Jews. They knew that the people did not like them. They knew that their message was different than the popular message of the time, and they just felt like not going out to face the hostile society.
We too are often like that: going to church quietly, receiving Jesus in our hearts quietly, and going home again quietly to live out our daily routines. But what about the charge from Jesus left for you and me to be his witnesses and to share the Good News of God’s love with all humankind? Sometimes we’re afraid to talk to others about God because we’re afraid that they are going to tell us off. We’re afraid that they will not listen to us. We’re afraid that they will think that we are some sort of freak who is out of touch with reality. So we give up on our God-given duty, our baptismal calling, and go on enjoying our comfortable silence.
We are in need of a guide who will persuade us to leave our upper room. This is the kind of work that the Holy Spirit does within us. When fear of trouble tends to freeze our faith into silent submission, the Holy Spirit warms us up and empowers us to go out there and make a difference. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we have a mission to tell everybody the Good News that God is the Father of us all, in spite of our visible differences of language, culture, and social status. We are all one family and should therefore live as brothers and sisters in Christ. Our mission is to break the barriers between “us” and “them”, between male and female, between Jew and Gentile, between rich and poor, between black and white, between First World and Third World, and to bring all humankind to speak that one universal language of brotherly/sisterly love. This is possible only through the working of the Holy Spirit.
You’re probably saying, “What can I do? I am only one single individual. What difference can I make?” Maybe it’s best to use the words of Mother Teresa. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create man ripples.” Our words, our actions, and the way we live our lives can have a positive impact on others. And the reactions go on and on just like ripples on water. We’ve got to allow the Spirit to work in us so that the Spirit can work through us.
Being a Christian can never be a “me and Jesus” experience. We must continue the ministry and mission of Jesus in our world. The Church was intended to be on the move. It was intended for the street, for the people, and for places everywhere. And Pentecost reminds us of that mission and invites us to take the Easter message of Christ’s resurrection and spread this Good News to our world.
The Holy Spirit is constantly on the move: in the water, the bread, the wine, and the oil transformed into the sacraments; in our prayers both private and collective. Above all, the Holy Spirit drives us out of the safety and security of our local upper rooms, and pushes us beyond ourselves, our abilities, our expectations, and our security levels.
Come Holy Spirit, come!
