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And Jesus, continuing the same scripture in the Gospel of John, appears to equate himself with the Spirit, so the Spirit being seen as a continuation of the work he had begun. The Holy Spirit is not, then, a separate being from Jesus, but refers to the Christ among us, not in the body of Jesus, but in a spiritual body, a universal body beyond time and space.
I will not leave you alone. I will return to you. In a little while, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. You will live because I live.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit is referred to in Christian Scripture as interceding for us.
In like manner the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we need to pray; the Spirit herself intercedes with God for us in groans words cannot express. And God, who sees into our hearts, knows the thought of the Spirit, for the Spirit intercedes with God on behalf of God's people and in accordance with God's will.
* * *
That night, after returning from the holiness church, the Holy Spirit manifested as and through a human being who knew what I had done was due to a pure longing in my heart. My friend knew I was not merely being disobedient. He saw below what I had done. He read my heart, and he lovingly, respectfully communicated my heart to my father. He embodied love, a love that does not see merely appearance, but deeper and before appearance. Now, forty-two years later, I recall and give thanks for this paraclete who came to my side and brought understanding and comfort. In those moments, he became Christ to me and my father.
* * *
I invite you to remain silent and invite a response from the Silence.
If not of the Christian faith, how might this act of being Christ, of being a paraclete, be understood in your wisdom path? Have you ever been called alongside another, by Divine guidance, to intercede or bring comfort to another? Do you recall when someone became one-called-alongside-of for you? What does it mean for you to intercede for others? Are there specific ways you feel called to be a paraclete?
*Brian Wilcox. ‘Living Together under Open Sky’. Flickr
*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2019
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