PARACLETE

The Holy Spirit as Comforter eases our distress, encourages us, and comes to us in times of trouble to remind us of Jesus’ presence and promises. And it’s just that kind of comfort, I imagine, that is at the heart of Jesus’ discourse to his disciples according to John’s Gospel. They were distressed; feeling orphaned and abandoned, and so needed that kind of comfort and advocacy.

The Holy Spirit as Advocate also comes to testify and to prompt the testimony of the disciples. It’s Jesus’ testimony to the truth. The Holy Spirit comes to prompt the disciples to make the same disturbing, disruptive, and world-changing testimony that calls into question the values of the world.

According to the book of Acts the disciples take their new multi-lingual ability into the streets of Jerusalem. The Spirit prompted the disciples to make a very public scene with the troubling good news that the Person the crowds had put to death was alive through the power of God.

According to Romans the Spirit helps the believers to name the inward hopes, desires, and longings that attend anyone who is waiting for God’s redemption. The pain we experience in this world can seem so great and the coming of God’s redemption so far away that the Spirit intervenes, interrupts, and intercedes by giving voice to our deepest needs.

The Holy Spirit is as much agitator, rebel and disturber as advocate, as much provocateur and challenger as comforter. Do we have a word or phrase at our disposal, which can capture all these dimensions of the work of the Holy Spirit? The word is Paraclete! It is a compound Greek word that literally means, “to come alongside another.” In this sense, the Paraclete can be an advocate – to come along side to defend and counsel – or comforter – to come along side to provide comfort and encouragement. But the one who comes along side might also do so to strengthen us for work, or to muster our courage, or to prompt or even provoke us to action. Paraclete as the one who comes along side of us to encourage and equip us for the task of ministry is such a perfect name for the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work is to create for us a new calling: we have a story to tell, mercy to share, love to spread, and we just can’t rest until we’ve done so!

Jesus says “go and make disciples” and “when you care for the least of these you are caring for me” and “love one another as I have loved you.” This kind of work is inherently disruptive, difficult, and at times even dangerous. And so Jesus sends the Paraclete, the one who comes along side us to encourage, equip, strengthen, provoke and, at times to comfort us so that we can get out there and do it all again. So perhaps this Pentecost, we might substitute the traditional petition, “Come, Holy Spirit,” with one more suited to the name, “Come alongside, Holy Spirit!”

But we have to go one step further, to “come along side” each other to encourage and equip each other as well so that we may witness through our words and deeds to the grace and goodness of God. We are all part of a “mutual ministry” –that look for – and expect! – the Holy Spirit to come along side everybody and shake things up, preparing and equipping each and all of us to share the disruptive, surprising, and life-giving word of grace of the God who will not rest until all people enjoy abundant life.