The bags were all packed. The car was loaded from bottom to top. My friends and family gathered the day before to wish me well on my journey eastward. Bright and early in the morning, my mom and I piled in the car and drove away from our house. We drove through South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before arriving at my new “home” in Gettysburg. I had been away from home before, but I had never been this far away from home for an extended amount of time. I had said goodbye to my family and friends before, but I had never been this far away from them. I knew it wasn’t goodbye forever, even though at the time it kind of felt like that. It was a “see you later.”
We have all said goodbye on many occasions. Goodbye as you drop your child off for their first night away from home. Goodbye as your children have left for college. Goodbye as your best friend has moved across the country. Goodbye as one of your co-workers has left for a new job. Goodbye as you left the care facility where your aging parents live. Often our goodbyes are more like “see you laters.” We really expect to see the person again somewhere along the journey of life.
In our text today Jesus is gathered with the disciples on the night of his arrest. He is sharing his final words with them and saying goodbye. However, I don’t think his goodbye is really final. I think he is saying more of a “see you later.” It is only a “see you later,” because God is sending another Advocate. God is sending the Holy Spirit to be among them as Jesus leaves this earthly kingdom.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think the Holy Spirit is difficult to talk about. I think it is difficult to talk about, because frankly I don’t know what it looks like. After all, I don’t usually see the Spirit descending like a dove or appearing in the form of fire as I walk down the street, drive on the beltway, surf the Internet, or go about my daily living. The image of the Holy Spirit can be a bit difficult to wrap our minds around.
However, I think our Gospel text for today can help shed some light on the image of the Holy Spirit. The text describes the Holy Spirit as an Advocate. An advocate is one who supports you, who stands up for you, who speaks on your behalf, who lends a helping hand, who takes your side in a debate, and who doesn’t leave you alone. When you think of the advocates in your life, who comes to mind? When I think about the advocates in my life there are several people that come to mind. I immediately think of my friends, my mom, several professors, and my pastors. They have at one point or another been advocates for me.
The next descriptor of the Holy Spirit is “another.” Yes, God will send another Advocate, meaning that God has already sent one Advocate. The first Advocate was Jesus, God’s only Son. The next Advocate is the Holy Spirit. I think the second Advocate will look a lot like the first one. The Spirit will abide with us in the same way that the Word made flesh has abided with us. Jesus tells the disciples that he will not leave them orphaned. It is true, he won’t. The Spirit will mediate Jesus’ presence in the same what that Jesus mediated God’s presence in the world.
So, I think the lesson is that the Holy Spirit is an advocate that looks a lot like Jesus. If that is the case, then I think I know what the Holy Spirit looks like. Anytime that one person supports another person, anytime that someone lends a helping hand, anytime that someone speaks up for those whose voices are not heard, anytime that someone feeds someone who is hungry, anytime that love is shown for the last, the lost, the least, and the little in our midst…then we have seen the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit looks like a high school student who has an idea to apply for a grant so that young people can feed the hungry men in the St. Paul’s Shelter. And while feeding the men in the shelter they can learn to be good stewards as they shop for groceries, they can learn how to cook, and they can learn to foster relationships with other people, especially people who are homeless in Washington, DC.
The Holy Spirit looks like a community of believers that join together to raise funds for communities that have been ravaged by hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, flooding, and other natural disasters. And not only raise money, but some also give selflessly of their time and energy to provide restoration in these areas. Those who cannot give of their time and energy, give time on their knees in prayer for healing and hope amidst devastation.
The Holy Spirit looks like a group of women who were brought together by their love for knitting and crocheting and their desire to bring comfort and care to other people. And when they discovered that Children’s Hospital was in need of prayer shawls and baby blankets they went to town with their yarn and needles to bring care and comfort to children who are hospitalized and their families through their prayer shawl ministry.
The Holy Spirit looks a lot like the people of St. Paul’s. No wonder Jesus says, we know the Holy Spirit. It is true. We do know the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, on occasion, has looked a lot like you and like me. Look to your left (yes, Lutheran friends – actually look at the person next to you) …there is the Holy Spirit. Look to your right…there is the Holy Spirit. And the next time you look in the mirror notice that the Holy Spirit looks like you, too. For the gift of the Holy Spirit, another Advocate, who takes up residence in our bodies and uses us to mediate God’s love and Jesus’ presence in the world, we say, “Thanks be to God.” Amen.
