Life in the Spirit means living as a feather on the wind; offering no resistance to being picked up and transported by a gust that we can’t see, having no sense of alarm when find ourselves in an unexpected place. However, being a light-weight feather that's blown around by the Lord's invisible breath is more likely to freak us out than to relax us, because it challenges our "need" to be in control.
The members of the earliest Christian followers (“the believers”) were detached from their possessions for the sake of community (Acts 4:32-37). They were so high on the Spirit, so fully trusting in God that everyone made themselves available to be used by God to meet each other's needs. Why can't we become like that? It is possible—this is God's design—but it can only happen within the context of community.
By ourselves, we can’t be that generous, supplying everything that another person needs, but we think we should, and so we feel overwhelmed and inadequate and therefore we don't do much at all. We get stuck in our inadequacies because we live such individualistic lives that we forget that we are part of the earthly Body of Christ, which is the whole Church in community. Individually, the Holy Spirit shows us which particular needs of the community He wants us to address, and in community, Christ's Spirit joins our helpfulness to others who can also help. Thus, everyone's needs can get met.
This past month we have witnessed an estimated 22 million become unemployed, food bank lines of hungry people, loss of businesses and thousands of people dying from COVID-19.
We have also witnessed doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, first responders, front line caregivers, risking their lives to save lives. Of “one heart and mind” includes truck drivers, postal workers, grocery store workers, and teachers. We have witnessed people donate money for masks, face shields and ventilators and farmers giving their crops to food banks. Business leaders and entertainers have come forth to donate millions to food banks around the world.
St. John of the Cross said, "It makes little difference whether a bird is tied by a thin thread or by a cord. For even if tied by thread, the bird will be prevented from taking off just as surely as if it were tied by cord—that is, it will be impeded from flight as long as it does not break the thread....This is the lot of a man who is attached to something; no matter how much virtue he has, he will not reach the freedom of divine union."
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