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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Haydon Spenceley

Good morning.

Just under a week ago we marked Pentecost in the Christian year. Pentecost is one of those things that a lot of people have heard of or heard about but not many people can put their finger on what it actually is. Pentecost for the church marks the completion of Jesus’s promise to send the holy spirit both to be with and to guide those who love God. Like so many things in the Bible it can seem like something for ‘then’ rather than now. But wouldn’t it be something pretty special, splendid even if, after all, we’re not really on our own.

From the very first in life we rely on other people. I’ve been doing that all my life and however hard I try not to I find I’m consistently reliant on others to do some pretty straightforward things. Recently a taxi driver complained about my being a wheelchair user, swore at having to put my chair in his boot and then muttered darkly about the state of the road outside my house. But while I was his passenger I was both a client and also somewhat reliant on him and at his mercy. His mood magically changed on arrival at my destination when it turned out other people were also there. For a brief moment though I was aware of my vulnerability and a rising anxiety.

Pentecost, the gift of the Spirit means that wherever the Christian person goes, God is with them. They are never alone. What a gift, as it was for me during my taxi journey, to know that kind of peace.

Father, help me to know your peace today and to share it with those I meet so that the world can be a better place for all.

Amen