The Infinite Abundance of God’s Spirit

Leslye Colvin

Today’s post is from Bondings 2.0 contributor Leslye Colvin, whose bio is here.

Today’s liturgical readings for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time can be found here.

“The law of the LORD is perfect…The ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just…Cleanse me from my unknown faults.” (Psalm 19)

I am humbled by each invitation to write for New Ways Ministry. As an ally, I seek to speak from the deep well of God’s truth, and not to trip over my own shortcomings. “Cleanse me from my unknown faults,” a line from today’s liturgical readings, expresses the psalmist David’s humility and acknowledgement of his imperfection. Like David, I too pray that God cleanses me from my unknown faults, knowing that the Great Divine Mystery is beyond what we can fully know, comprehend, or verbalize. 

I am aware that as a heterosexual, cisgender woman I receive unearned privileges. Certainly, I take many of them for granted. Before my birth, the words of God were distorted to establish and maintain unjust systems designed to deny the human dignity of my LGBTQIA+ siblings.

Born in the United States of America in a Black body, I also know how Scripture was distorted before my birth to establish and maintain unjust systems designed to deny my human dignity. Unfortunately, we know well through lived experience that our beloved church was not and is not immune to these and other injustices. Consequently, we join those from time immemorial whose labors for justice benefit us in this time and place, confident that our efforts will advance the struggle of moving beyond the confinement of predetermined boxes.

Perfect, true, and just are the law and the ordinances of God. We recognize the aspirational value of these ideals. Looking back across salvation history, we see how these terms have been used to guide people of faith seeking to serve God. This includes those who approach God earnestly with both their limitations and a hunger to know God more intimately. 

Sadly, often tragically, we have seen the same words weaponized to denounce and deny the human dignity of others including ourselves and those we love. How do we learn to live fully when even our church and faith community may not appreciate the expansive nature of God’s love and its capacity to move beyond boxes and embrace all of us – each of us?

While God’s law and ordinances are perfect, true and just, we as humans are limited in our own ability to completely understand and convey them. Blinded by what we have been taught to see, we may take pride in our blind spots as we fiercely hold on to our blinders. At some point, each of us and each generation must wrestle with how our lived experiences influence our perspective. What experiences have expanded or minimized our heart space? What have we accepted as true when challenged by faith or reason? When have we chosen to be silent because of fear or shame?

Today’s first liturgical reading tells us that God came down in the cloud to speak to Moses. It is intriguing to consider that neither God nor the cloud could be contained. God humbled Godself to meet Moses where he was. Likewise, God comes to meet us where we are. The thought is so profound that it gives me chills. The Most High God meets us where we are. The encounter unfolds. It is not ours to control or direct.

The Scripture writer reminds us of the immeasurable abundance of God and God’s Spirit as God shares Moses’ spirit with 70 others. This was not like preparing a meal for one and having 70 unexpected guests. It is beyond a mathematical concept. The spirit of Moses was not depleted. It was like lighting 70 candles from a single flame. The light and warmth were increased without diminishing the initial flame. 

Then we learn that two of the elders on the list had not been in the designated tent at the appointed time. Even so, they also received God’s spirit. Hearing that these two who were absent are now witnessing, Joshua assumes a responsibility that is not his and complains to Moses. Was Joshua attempting to put God in a box? Did he hope that Moses would deny the presence of God’s Spirit with these men? Certainly, Joshua was disappointed when Moses questioned his jealousy and affirmed the witnessing of the two others.

Centuries later, Jesus is in a similar situation when his disciples complain that others are preaching in Jesus’ name. Jesus diffused the situation regarding the unknown healers. Like Moses, he affirmed the expansive nature of God that is not to be restricted or denied. 

Two thousand years later, there are still those who desire to control God in service to themselves. In doing so, confident in knowing they have all the correct answers, they close and lock their hearts to the grace and uncertainty of surprise.

Today, we are mindful of the pilgrims traveling to Rome to participate in the Synod on Synodality. Our respective hearts fall along a far-reaching continuum of hope and desire for the possibilities of this moment. Similarly, the hearts of the pilgrims are open in varying degrees to the process of synodality. Some are returning to Rome with their hearts touched by encounters with voices from the margin, open to the Spirit moving among them. Others, however, may be arriving with intentions to hold God in a box.

We know that the God we serve, the God who calls us by name, the God who liberates us, the God who meets us where we are us is not in a box. Regardless of the decisions of the Synod, our work of seeking to embody God’s law and ordinances will continue. May the Living God touch the hearts and minds of those participating in the Synod on Synodality.

—Leslye Colvin (she/her), September 29, 2024