A Gift for All

Gospel: John 3: 31-36

"He does not ration is gift of his Spirit." This statement may come as a shock to those who have been conditioned to think that God's gifts are only for an elite or for a group of self-proclaimed "faithful Christians." But like the parable of the sower, God's gift of the Spirit is spread widely and generously to all people, not just a select few.  

The fact is that every human being is made in God's image and likeness.  Every human being has within themselves the indwelling God, for everyone is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  The confection of a sacrament does not make it so; a sacrament in actuality celebrates that very fact that we come to recognize about ourselves and about others.  

Imagine what religion could be if sacraments were indeed celebrations of this fact, if religion were about helping people discern and discover this reality each day.  Sacraments then would not be grace delivery systems but rather organic reactions of thanksgiving for the gift of God's spirit given to us all through the ministry of Jesus.