Is the Holy Spirt Moving in Ireland? (On Pentecost Weekend, No Less)

Last updated on: May 24, 2015 at 7:52 am by Kyle Roberts

Is the Holy Spirt Moving in Ireland? (On Pentecost Weekend, No Less) 2015-05-24T07:52:55-05:00 Kyle Roberts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Many across the world followed the results of Ireland’s referendum vote to enshrine the legality of gay marriage in their constitution. This is historic because it’s the first time marriage equality has been constitutionally enshrined via popular vote.

Ireland is an unusual country to take a leading position on the contentious issues of gay rights, given their heavily Catholic influence and their conservative history. Divorce was illegal in Ireland until 20 years ago, after a 1995 constitutional referendum made it possible for married couples to divorce. The divorce law is still pretty traditional, compared to many countries: divorcing couples must have been separated for four of the previous five years and there has to be “no reasonable prospect of a reconciliation.”

It’s not hard to imagine that in another 20, 30, or 50 years, inequality of LGBT rights will be overwhelmingly considered, by a vast majority in historic Christian and western contexts (at the very least), a barrier that had to be broken down to bring about true justice and fullness of life for all people.

When Christians interpret movements of justice- and peace-making, we tend to assume that the Holy Spirit is at work, “leading us into truth” (Jn 17:3) and bringing life and light into dark places. At Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out on flesh, creating a new movement of empowered Jesus-followers who went on to transform the world.

What if this same Spirit of life and liberation is at work even now, just today, in the people of the Republic of Ireland? What if the message to the watching Christian world is that this is indeed what the Spirit is saying to the churches?

Irish journalist Stephen Carroll, tweeted this earlier:

Dublin-born Unitarian minister Chris Hudson, whose All Souls church in south Belfast holds regular services for LGBT Christians as well as those of other faiths, said: “Many leaders of Christian churches called on the Irish people to vote No, but the Irish people did not heed them. Instead people decided to ‘love their neighbour as themselves’ and decided to embrace the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law, bless them.
“Church leaders really need to look at their message of exclusion and the people’s embrace of inclusion. Christianity is alive and well among the good people of Ireland, but the church leaders need to catch up.”

As a Trinitarian who affirms the full divinity and personality of the Spirit, I am struck by the significance of what this Unitarian minister is saying. Sometimes Christianity and its leaders need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, through the people of God. Sometimes this is the only way for the church to hear the message–and to respond to the flow of the Spirit, the Advocate and Comforter, who leads us into greater truth and opens the path to life, in the presence of God.

Today the world observed a historic vote for equality, in a conservative Catholic country, on Pentecost weekend, leading into Pentecost Sunday. Now, I’m not one to make grand claims about God’s providence within history–or in the present. But I do affirm the Nicene Creed, and believe in the “Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life.” When the Spirit blows (as it pleases), she creates a new reality, and draws us toward a better way of being human. And it also seems that when the Spirit moves, it is often in spite of and in prophetic renewal of institutional forms of church, rather than borrowing from their power. On this Pentecost Sunday, I ask: If this were in fact a movement of the Holy Spirit, would there be a better time and place?

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/28643687@N08/15210755282″>Celtic crosses, the Church of St Peter, North Rauceby, Lincolnshire, England</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>

Previous Post

May 23, 2015

The Holy Spirit Didn't Turn Jesus (or You) into Superman

Next Post

May 25, 2015 A Book Recommendation for Memorial Day: Migrations of the Holy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2020 November 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 December 2018 July 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz