Something to Think and Pray About This Week

This week leads to Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit. We speak of the Spirit guiding us. Quakers wait in silence for the Spirit to move them to speak. How does this work? The Holy Spirit does not normally work by telling us things we did not know, or by extraordinary revelations. The Holy Spirit introduces no new ideas, but improves and deepens my knowledge of what I already know. Jesus (John 14:26) said, "The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you." We shall sometimes, but not always, be conscious of a special divine influence, and we may feel sure that the action we have received is from God. But God's action, though strong, is often quite imperceptible, for instance as the grace of fidelity in a time of great aridity.