Listen

Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?”

John 3:5-9

Think

I’m sure by now the concept of wind seems pretty obvious and simple. You see the wind blow a tree’s branches to and fro — or you hear the wind as it rustles the leaves. But have you ever tried describing wind to a 2-year old? Suddenly the concept of “seeing” wind or “hearing” wind is anything but obvious or simple.

Jesus tells us that God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes — that you can hear it, but you may not know where it’s coming from or where it’s blowing to. My guess is that there are days when Jesus’s comparison of Spirit and wind makes perfect sense, and other days when it’s hard to comprehend.

The beautiful thing about faith is that it can be simple and mysterious at the same time. Where can you find God in the simple things today? Where can you see God’s mystery in your life?

Lauren Holder

Pray

God of mystery, may I feel your Spirit swirl around me today like the wind. Help me to stop for a moment and pay attention to how you move me to and fro and how you rustle quietly and simply. Amen.

Go

Let us go out into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!

Thanks be to God.

Book of Common Prayer