Pentecost Sunday

THE CUSHION OF THE SPIRIT

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Galatians 5:16-25;

John 20:19-23 or John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Readings for Pentecost

A submarine, under test, had to remain submerged overnight. A terrible storm hit the coast and battered the ships in the harbour.

The next morning, when the sub resurfaced, the harbour master asked the captain: “How did the storm last night affect you?”

The captain looked at him in surprise: “Storm? We didn’t even know there was one!”

The sub had reached an area sailors call the “cushion of the sea.” Though the winds whipped the sea into huge waves and battered the ships on it, they never stirred the deep waters; the submarine remained safe despite the turbulence around.

This is a good image of the peace that comes from the Spirit that Jesus promises his disciples. It does not remove the causes of worry, fear, and suffering, but it does not allow these to swamp the disciples. 

The gospel describes the evening of Easter Sunday. The disciples had shut themselves behind closed doors after the crucifixion “for fear of the Jews.” That’s where Jesus finds them on “the first day of the week.” That’s where he finds them a week later even after he had given them his peace. 

But on Pentecost, after they were “filled with the Holy Spirit”, when they experienced the “cushion of the Spirit,” they felt a deep peace, and then they moved out to fearlessly proclaim Jesus crucified and risen.

Notice that the situation outside had not changed; in fact, it had worsened! The disciples faced arrest, persecution and death, and they “were scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). But they continued preaching the word – and how! What changed was not the situation, not the disciples; what changed was they found the “cushion of the Spirit.”

We seek the peace that Jesus gave his disciples, peace that abides despite pain and suffering, anguish and fear; peace that is elusive because of the turbulence of the pandemic and other factors. We need the peace that comes from remaining in the “cushion of the Spirit”. Then, we can move out of our “shut doors” to witness to the gospel.

Jesus gives us the Spirit and the peace that he gave his first disciples. Will I rest in the cushion of the Spirit? And then, filled with his peace—despite the turbulence that surrounds me—how will I proclaim Jesus and witness to him?