Gordon Cosby used to say that call is “big, impossible and persistent.” And each time my call has changed form, it has felt that way to me. Big because it’s more than I can manage without doing a serious purge of current obligations. Impossible to accomplish alone so I will need to involve others. And persistent, especially when I have not been ready to surrender my fears. Growing into a call takes time and attention.
That pattern of call shows up in the gospel reading for this week too.* On the same day that Mary Magdalene encountered the risen form of Jesus at the empty tomb, he appeared to the frightened disciples in a locked room. Then he breathed new life into them, giving them the power to forgive sins. [Unspoken is the reality that forgiving sins had angered the authorities and ultimately cost Jesus his life.]
Not only do they receive the Spirit, but (like Mary) they are sent out and we realize this is John’s version of Pentecost. With a nod to later readers, Thomas missed their encounter and complained that he needed proof that it was really Jesus. Quite often this Pentecost story is reduced to focus on “doubting Thomas,” maybe because we identify with him and his need for proof and reassurance rather than acknowledging a spiritual visitation that might herald a new call.
Their new call as a community is clear: to embody the Christ Spirit and practice the power of forgiveness. Only then does John get to the point of this story: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe.” That call seems big, impossible and persistent.
-- Marjory Zoet Bankson, InwardOutward Editor
For More
- Is there a new call brewing in you? In your community?
- How might you clear space in your life for a new call?
- Where is forgiveness needed? How might you approach that work?
