Spirit of Pentecost – blow torch or gentle breeze?
This Sunday we will be celebrating, what has come to be known as the birthday of the church. This beginning was marked by strange and unexpected occurrences that rocked those present to their very core. A couple of centuries later we have lost the life-altering impact of the Spirit – or have we?
Perhaps some of the people of Haiti know what it is like to be buffeted by the Spirit. I’m not talking about the devastating impact of being buried under the earthquakes rubble or of being burdened with decades of debt and poverty. I’m thinking about the unquenchable spirit of people who have the heart to re-build in the midst of such devastation and suffering. Pastor Arcène, whose church collapsed around him as he worked in his office, says, "All Haitians are deeply wounded.... Yet if we're still alive, it's to continue the work of the Lord on Earth."
Our moderator, Mardi Tindal, who visited Haiti at Easter, passes on a message to us from our Haitian partners, The Methodist Church of Haiti and the Karl Lévêque Cultural Institute:
“Thank you for the many ways you have walked with us - not only since the earthquake on January 12 but also for decades before the earthquake. Your long-standing generosity to the Mission and Service Fund has enabled us to provide education for all ages, teacher training, sustainable agriculture, support for small business enterprises, and more. Your extraordinary donations to relief and restoration since January, which are now approaching $3 million, have made the difference between life and death and strengthened first steps toward post-earthquake reconstruction”.
People all over the world are responding to the promptings of the Spirit and we are a part of that – which is something to celebrate!
Blessings, Karen
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