A very real friend and helper

Three separate persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one being — this is how God is represented in the Bible. Not “multiple gods” — one God. I'm especially thinking about the person of the Spirit as the coming of the Holy Spirit to humankind through faith in Christ is remembered this Pentecost Sunday.

When people think “spirit” it's often spooky, as in haunted — or laughable, as that old cartoon “Casper the Friendly Ghost” — or for me once, a dilemma. I was a ghost in first grade at Halloween. My sheet got torn — I stumbled home in tears to get it repaired.

The Bible's Holy Spirit is not like that at all. Far from frightening the Spirit is named Helper, Comforter, Counselor, Advocate. The Greek word is “paracletos” — one called alongside to help.

I guess the Spirit, being unseen, is why some people label Jesus “an imaginary friend.” He told his disciples, speaking about His imminent return to heaven, “I will not leave you as orphans...I will send you the Helper — the Spirit of truth.” The Holy Spirit is the continuing earthly presence of Jesus.

I need truth and I need a helper. There are way too many voices in the world telling me far too many things. Which one am I going to listen to, going to follow. Which can I trust.

The Bible says my choice makes a huge difference in this life now, and the one to come. If I think its message imaginary then I can ignore it. But if it's not, then it's truth by which to guide my life.

Here is more of the story of the promised Holy Spirit. The day of the Spirit's appearance was exciting! The disciples were gathered in Jerusalem as Jesus had told them. Suddenly there was from heaven a “noise like a violent rushing wind” which “filled the whole house where they were sitting.” The sound attracted a crowd — people from every nation who lived in the city.

A second unusual occurrence was a flame of fire resting on each apostle. After that all the crowd who had come together heard them “speaking of the mighty deeds of God” each in their own language. The disciples could not possibly have known these dialects.

The crowd was amazed by this — but there were mockers thinking they were merely drunk — unwilling to believe that the power of God — the Spirit of God — could make this happen.

Throughout Scripture the Holy Spirit is associated with power. Not the sort of power for one's own advertisement — for bragging, for superiority, for “take that!” In fact, there's an often overlooked power from the Spirit I can access every day.

It is the power to attempt a life pleasing to God. I get in the way of that plenty, but the Holy Spirit within me keeps me trying — keeps me wanting to try. With the Spirit — the Helper — doing just that, I become so much more than I am on my own.

I've got a Friend who is very real.