We've come so far. We've got so far to go.

Happy Birthday, Church!

Today is the Feast of Pentecost. 50 days after Easter, the disciples are STILL hiding in the upper room, afraid for their lives, totally lost, and with no idea what to do next.

Lots to think about ... lots to worry about ... nothing doing.

Sound familiar?

How often do we sit, worry, and fear what could happen, and wonder what we should do?
It's analysis paralysis.

Pentecost is not only the birth of our Church, but it is the lasting cure against analysis paralysis.
Pentecost is the catalyst and reminder that having faith means being a person of not just beliefs, but actions. Pentecost reminds us that love is a verb, which means we have work to do!

And this work is in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he said, so many times, "Do not be afraid!" Jesus does not give up on these nervous, shy, scared disciples. And Jesus certainly does not give up on us.

Instead, Jesus comes to us (even through locked doors and other obstacles we might put in His way) and calmly calls us to our proper roles and responsibilities:

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit."

We are sent out into the world to be doers, and what is more, lovers.

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Anne and I were in Guatemala this year for Pentecost. And I have to say, there was something special about sitting in the church, surrounded by these small, happy, and beautiful friends of ours from the orphanage (literally surrounded: Anne had Angelica on her lap and I tried to keep Jimmy from sprawling much past mine). The School Sisters of St. Francis (who run the orphanage in Santa Apolonia) have spent their whole lives being, praying, and doing love. And these children -- and many more before and after them -- have been changed forever because of their simple yet daily acts of love.

This made me think: there are still a lot of children out there who are hurting, alone, abandoned and afraid. But these 80 children have been spared that fate because these sisters have said "yes" to working in synergy with the Holy Spirit.

Maybe we can't change the world. We certainly can't change it alone.
But, that doesn't mean we can sit here and twiddle our thumbs. We can't be paralyzed by all the reasons why not to love. Then nothing will ever change and there will be even more to worry about, fear, and lament.

So today, as we fittingly celebrate Mother's Day, I ask you to think about who loves you and how you have been loved. And then think about how and who you love.

And let your eyes be opened to the difference that love makes, day by day.
And then consider how you can stretch, share, and even squander that love so that even one more person can experience it.

Even if you reach out to just one person, it's still one more. One life changed forever.
As we commit to this, the Holy Spirit will multiply the fruit of our work ten, twenty, even one hundred-fold.

After all, this whole thing started with twelve men in a locked room.
We've come so far.
We've got so far to go.

Sitting there won't accomplish much.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

We are sent out into the world, not just to be, but to DO.