Witnesses

 Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Witnesses

You will be my witnesses

Not my gatekeepers

Or my lawmakers

Not my judges

Or my jury

Not my creed writers

or doctrine creators

Witnesses

Entrusted with good news

for all the world

Perhaps that was too vague an ask

too wide a remit

And so the tales of one

who walked on water

and cooked fish on the beach

The testimony of clearing the temple

and honouring a widow’s offering

The stories of blessing children

and being anointed by women

have been cleaned up and toned down

Like applying brasso to sanctuary vases

we’ve tried to apply a sheen 

instead of allowing the sheer earthiness

of everyday encounter 

of outrageousness

of audaciousness

and of righteous indignation and anger

to tell its own tale.

And, if we’ve toned Jesus down

we’re certainly not going to allow the spirit free rein.

She is even less predictable.

Even more prone to wreaking havoc

to turning solemn convention and propriety on its head.

So we’ve wrapped her up tightly in doctrine and in creed

in form and convention

lest  she encourage sedition.

Let’s loose the wrapping

Remove the shrouds

Stand well back

and allow the Spirit

to effect her miracles of love

in all the world today.

Witnesses