The Sixth Sunday of Easter
If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear by today’s readings that this is actually Trinity Sunday. Look at the very interesting first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Ironically, this reading comes chronologically after the Gospel, after Pentecost, when the apostles fully understand the importance of the Holy Spirit. Did you notice that strange statement in the first reading that the Samaritan Christians “…had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” There was some remedial action to be taken, apparently. What was that about?
The second reading, attributed to Peter but likely written by a disciple, has another fascinating Trinitarian claim. Listen again: “For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God (the Father). Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit.” So note – God sends the Son who wishes to lead us to the Father; the Son dies for our sins, and is brought to life by the Spirit. Note the distinct actions of each of the persons in God, intermingled and mediated one by the other. Theologians have called this the Cosmic Dance, which I think is an excellent image.
Now for the Gospel. We heard the first half of John, Chapter 14 last week when Jesus tells the confused disciples that he is going to the Father, and more to the point, that Jesus and the Father are one. This week we hear the continuation of this speech with Jesus introducing the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, who is also to be sent by the Father. On that day, Jesus proclaims, “…you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” What a remarkable statement! This leads to a very concise description of the Trinitarian God:
- God the Father is God above us
- God the Son is God beside us
- God the Holy Spirit is God within us
Note the progressive intimacy of these descriptions of God as revealed over the ages. God the Father showing his power to Moses and the Chosen People, Jesus walking with his disciples, healing individuals from their desperate physical ailments, usually by touching them, even touching lepers. And now the Spirit, a necessary next step in the God/human love equation, who invades our very souls and lights a fire. Intimacy always seeks more intimacy. God above us, beside us, within us.
So what’s “wrong” with the baptism of the Samaritans in the first reading? Nothing really – it was simply incomplete. They had been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and…that’s it. Peter and John went down to Samaria to complete the Revelation, to show them the open door to the divine dance, to introduce them to the Holy Spirit. It also shows the budding realization of the importance of the apostolic witnesses, of how the laying on of hands by the apostles was a critically important gesture. Ordination uses the same gesture thereby tying every clergy person today back to an original apostle.
The spiritual journey is about seeing what the world cannot see. There is a vibrant spiritual existence intertwined with our human existence at all times, moving in and out of our reality with consummate ease. Have you ever seen it? Sensed it? Touched it? Most people get a taste of the spiritual when they are witnessing the death of a loved one. It’s as if the doorway to the spiritual is made of mist. The dying person often sees right through it, speaking to deceased family members, marveling at the scenery, anxious to be a part of it all. They want to share it with you. It is an immense privilege to accompany the dying through this final gate, because it is best experienced when love is present in abundance.
So if the interplay among the three persons of the Trinity is a cosmic dance, let’s introduce one more concept. Love is the dance floor. When Jesus speaks to the disciples he is attempting to describe a reality that He is fully immersed in and can belong to them as well. Jesus, being fully human and fully divine, represents our doorway on to this spiritual dance floor. How to enter? Obey Jesus, open yourself to Jesus. Note that you don’t have to die to experience this reality – Jesus opened the door! You can share in this mutual dance of the Trinity while you’re a human being walking the earth! Many Christian mystics such as Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Catherine of Siena have written extensively of this experience.
If you’ve gotten a taste of the joy and happiness of the divine dance and want more, what to do? Get closer to Jesus. I can’t emphasize that enough. To obey the commands of Jesus is to be open to the dialogue, to listen and read and ponder and pray on what Jesus is nudging you to do. The dialogue is different for each of us. The common thread is love, that’s a given. Jesus is always encouraging us to love our fellow human beings more, to forgive them, to laugh at silly misunderstandings, to bolster the weak-kneed, to reach out to those who have fallen in the ditch. Yes, even to put up with nutty politicians and say nice things to grocery clerks and police and neighbors and to our spouses. You can do it – just a little love, even if with gritted teeth, still counts.
Does all of this theologizing make your head hurt? I get that – I find it challenging too. Here we are, trying to explain the nature of God with human language and concepts – the best we can do is through analogies. God is like this, or God is like that. Our words are always insufficient to the task. Only one word comes close and you know what that word is, don’t you? Yeah, the word is love. Love is the best clue – get out on the dance floor!