It’s almost Pentecost. The day the church started building its relationship with God. I love the story of God the Spirit filling up a room full of people (Acts 2: 1-4), and where everyone was able to meet God in their own way; each in their own language, abilities, limitations and also gifts. It is a reminder of the richness and beauty of variety, especially when listening to what God is leading us to. But it is also a story about how wild and unrestricted the Spirit is. The Holy Spirit is not subject to the church’s or our rules. She is not limited by our limitations, but works in and trough us, inspires us, strengthens us, guides us, challenges us, and moves us to be wild and creative in the way we live out our faith.

Yes I did employ the term “wild.” I borrowed this description from my spiritual director and I do like it a lot.

I spend a lot of time in the wild. One thing about the wild is that it is raw and untamed. In the desert, the sun shines fully; in the mountains, the snow falls unsparingly; from waterfalls, water flows openly and freely. Everything about the wild is raw, genuine, and true.

So when I describe the Holy Spirit as wild, this is what comes to my mind: the Spirit of God works with our hearts, and through our talents and uses us in our most raw and authentic forms. She does not abide by nor does She impose on us any rules on how to be in order to be used by Her,  but She searches for our genuine selves and uses us to Her service. And when she does we cannot but bear fruit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)