Holy Spirit Doves, Chicks, and Parakeets
/This morning the redbirds’ eggs / have hatched and already the chicks.
are chirping for food. They don’t / know where it’s coming from, they
just keep shouting, “More! More!”
As to anything else, they haven’t / had a single thought. Their eyes
haven’t yet opened, they know nothing / about the sky that’s waiting. Or
thousands, the millions of trees. / They don’t even know they have wings.
And just like that, like a / neighborhood event, a miracle
is taking place. —Mary Oliver
Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. -John 20: 21-22
And the Holy Spirit Descended upon Jesus like a Dove, and a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased. – Luke 3: 22
Clive’s 4th grade class has been raising baby chicks. It has been a community endeavor. We all watched with breath held and eyes wide open as the little cracks appeared in the eggs, and the chicks wriggled out one by one. The kids have carefully adjusted the temperature, fed them, and watched them grow. And for me, those little chicks (now named Flash, Ninja, Kitty, Sunshine, and Ruby) invoke the new life and miracles of the season of Easter and the stirring of the Holy Spirit that Christ gave the Disciples in that locked room shortly after Mary first shared that the tomb was empty, and she had encountered him.
Since birds are on my mind - the Greek word used in John’s gospel for Spirit is paracletos or paraklete (Clive thought I was saying “parakeet.” That is what I heard when I was his age too). The Paraklete is often depicted in Christian art as a descending dove (See Luke 3 above). Parakletos it is often translated as “Advocate,” which can function in a legal sense- literally referring to one who advocates for you before a court of law. It can also function more relationally- referring to one who brings help, consolation, comfort, and encouragement when we really need it. The most essential understanding of paracletos is “to come alongside.” So, according to John, the Holy Spirit that Jesus asks the Disciples to receive is a Divine advocate that comes alongside us, and stands up for us when we need it, speaks on our behalf when we can’t find the words, lends a helping hand when we can’t carry everything on our own, and stays with us when we’re struggling so we will know that we are not alone. This Holy Spirit will manifest Jesus’s promise in his closing Johannine discourse that he “will not leave us orphaned” but will be with us and come alongside us even when we are so afraid, we have barred the doors against our greatest fears.
This Holy Spirit will come alongside us when our anxiety spikes, when we feel bombarded by tragic news, when we can’t get back to sleep, or when our health causes concern. This Holy Spirit will come alongside us when we’re grieving the loss of a loved one, when we are caring for someone who is struggling, or when we are uncertain about the future. The Holy Spirit will be by our side when the injustice in the world is overwhelming, and we don’t know what to do. The Holy Spirit will be by our side when are trying new things or making uncomfortable but necessary changes. The Holy Spirit will be beside us no matter where we find ourselves- reminding us that we are never alone.
I look forward to celebrating the cracking open and noticing and hatching of (perhaps previously unnoticed) miracles and new life with you in coming days as we journey through the season of Easter and on toward Pentecost. May the fire and breath of the Holy Parakeet/Holy Dove descend on all as we come along side each other as beloved community and embrace the journey together.
With Infinite Love and Gratitude, Rev. Jeanne
