The Work of the Spirit

The work of the spirit causes several questions for people. The answer lies in the multifaceted nature of the spirit's work, or alternatively the different stages or eras of its operation. Because we have read that Saint John spoke of the Father, the Word and the spirit being engaged in the origin of life we must speak of the three being co-workers of the creative work of life. The creative origin is the word spoken of as the Cosmo-genesis or from the Christian perspective, the Christo-genesis meaning that the Big Bang is a combination of the three, Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

The first stage of the Big Bang, or period of inflation, to set things in motion is spoken of as being a time of incarnation. The word is telling us that creation is the manifestation of the divine presence of the creator in creation. The spirit is the divine energy working to move creation to its appointed destiny. The word is understood as the shape of creation. The three are eternally and comprehensively manifest through creation. ‘All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made,’ said John in the first 2 verses of his gospel. The spirit provided the subtle work of the creative energy necessary for the evolutionary story. Its story is of patient and subtle energy to guide the formation of gasses, stars, planets and life leading to human form, over the 13.8 billion years of the formation of our cosmos.

The second stage is the work of the spirit in shaping human life. The spirit continued its creative influence with the shaping of the intelligent dimension of life culminating in the human mind. It shaped the wisdom and intelligence of the religious, through to the philosophical. John wrote ‘In him was life and the life was the light of the world, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’ Jn 1:4,5.

The incarnational story flourished under the work of the spirit to great heights. When the time was right, for the human story, to manifest being its understanding of the full story of creation the word manifested itself in the life of one simple man. The peasant called Jesus. Being the full manifestation of the incarnational presence in the evolutionary story he appeared full of spirit, truth and wisdom and lived a life full and grace and truth. Through the spirit, his life took an unexpected turn in his resurrection and made visible that life did not end with death. 50 days later the small band of Christians of all different nationalities began their time of worship in pray and immediately inspired by the spirit began to speak in tongues. The significance of this experience was that it displayed the unity possible for all humans, no matter what differences their previously natural lives had been. With renewed and a new level of consciousness this was a glimpse of the destiny to which human evolution was transitioning to, one of unity, peace, and harmony. The extraordinary display of spirit in the healings, teachings, and boldness that spread amongst the disciples gave a glimpse into the ongoing, but elevated possibility of the evolutionary story truly enhanced in its trajectory. This display faded from the disciples but for the purpose of placing responsibility for 'life in the spirit' squarely in the hands of the Christian community. This slow spirit-inspired journey kept moving ever forward reminded of the goal of unity as displayed at Pentecost.

The story of Christian mysticism has led the way on this multi-styled journey, while faithful followers slowly followed their example. Many carried the name of Christian in name only and had scant adherence to their calling, often of the worst kind. Some 2000 years later and inspired by the Spirit, the evolutionary story has taken a dramatic new step referred to as the Second Axial Period of history. It is the history built upon the new sciences of evolution and psychology, notably the science of the quantum world. This latter has revealed that all is interrelated, most notably the cross-cultural and multi-faith world. From Christianity and Hinduism through to Atheism, all must be included in the developing story.

Speaking and listening from one’s tradition our search is for the unity displayed at Pentecost.

Panikkar notes that this is brought about by dialogical dialogue, where we seek the homeomorphic equivalents (similar activity but in different forms) across all faiths. The objective of our dialogue is that we meet heart-to-heart – which unites us, rather than head-to-head – which is inclined to divide us. This is the work of the spirit, emulating the message of Pentecost and the responsibility of life in the Spirit of evolution.