Today is Pentecost
In the eastern Orthodox Churches
Pentecost, which we observed last sunday
is called Trinity Sunday
At first, all they knew was god the father
the god of israel
who brought them out of egypt
who taught them how to live and worship
the creator of all things
then that god gave us a son
himself in human form
so we could know what God was really like
what god asks us to do
he showed us love and compassion
so complete and so freely given
so compelling that it inspired them to change their lives
to live the way God wants., not the way the world teaches
Not only that
Jesus died to take our sins and all sins away
his death freed us to live the way God invites us to
We humans killed him to preserve the way of life the world forces to live
But God did not allow him to stay dead
God restored him to life and received him into god’s very presence
made it clear that Jesus was God’s own self in glory
But we were bereft of our Jesus
so they sent down their holy spirit
like fire to give light to our eyes
light so that we could see and know God in a new way
and it gave them power and courage to live as God invites us to live
not the way of the world
What they saw was the Trinity
How God really is in God’s own self
one god in three ways of being God
How they are in themselves
and how it is between God and humans
The very heart of God
their love that binds them together
and binds us to them if we will love as they love
In knowing God’s heart of love
they learned how to speak to the human heart of love
God’s being, God’s meaning is love
The meaning of the Gospel is love
Love is what it means to be a Christian
love as open, as unconditional as God’s
the love that broguht us here today
the love that makes us loving parents
loving friends
loving neighbors
loving workers
the love that makes the world work
our care, our love, our actions and intentions
make life possible
if there were no love, if we hated everything
if we cared about nothing
if we destroyed the world
what would the world be like
what would our lives be like
No, love is all the meaning
all the goodness there is
and it is our whole live
It is love to work and feed our families
it is love to cook food
do laundty
clean and maintain our homes
it is love that leads us to have cats and dogs
and fish and birds
it is love that leads us to drive safely
to pay taxes and give to help others when we can
it is love that leads us to have fun
to have picnics and fiestas
it is love that leads us to be kind, courteous, patient, and polite
and it is love that leads us to stand up for ourselves when we need to
like cesar chavez
it is love that gives us joy and sorrow
love is God’s meaning
love is lour meaning
love is our life
Does this seem impossible
like a dream
it is not a dream
it is paradise
God the Father created us for this
God the son died and rose to restore this to us
God the Holy Spirit shows us how
and enables us to live it forever
So now:
Think what you have.
Be what you are.
Take your Paradise.