Fr Ron Johnson
REFLECTING ON SUNDAY’S GOSPEL: John 14: 23-29
The Spirit will come to teach us all things Les Murray, the great Australian poet, died three years ago. One of Murray’s poems about poetry and religion concludes:
‘There’ll always be religion around while there is poetry, or a lack of it. Both are given, and intermittent, as the action of those birds – crested pigeon, rosella parrot – who fly with wings shut, then beating, and again shut.’
Those birds could be wonderful Australian symbols of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is front and centre of our readings today as Pentecost nears.
Jesus promises the Spirit will come to teach us all things. Information and doctrines may be part of the story, but poets remind us of something more imaginative and richer. The Spirit fires our imaginations also. Doctrines bring tension as Paul and Barnabas discovered.
Poetry is something more. It, and our faith, fire the imagination. We see God’s word as ‘a precious jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.’
Risen Faith and Peace to you.
Fr Ron.
All who love me will keep my words, and my Father will love them and we will come to them
John 14:23