the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
You can’t tell whether an egg is raw or hard-boiled just by looking at it. They look the same. But if you spin an egg on a table, the raw egg will spin slowly and stop quickly. The hard-boiled egg will spin fast and keep on spinning.
Today’s readings say there should be a difference between someone who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit and someone who has not. We all look the same from the outside. But just as there is a difference in the way the hard-boiled egg and the raw egg spins, there should be a difference between the Christian and the non-Christian.
The presence of the Holy Spirit should show up in how we act. There should be a difference because God is present within me. Do I treat other people with an awareness of the presence of God within me?
Sometimes we seem to have the attitude that as long as we are correct, there is a certain freedom in treating others roughly. For example, the Zealots were correct – the Roman occupation forces were oppressive and they were wrong. The Zealots felt that, therefore, they could perform acts of violence and terrorism toward the Roman forces.
In today’s second reading, Peter tells them that this is not true. Nor is it true today!
That isn’t the example that Jesus set. Jesus was “correct” – but look how he treated those who were wrong. Stephen, the first martyr, was correct. But look how he treated his persecutors.
I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. Is there a difference between the way I treat people – even when they are wrong – and the way others do?
I need to pray about this.
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