Some of you may have noticed my admiration for Flannery O’Connor the southern fiction writer from the mid 20th century. I don’t use very many quotations in my sermons, though I’ve noticed that when I do they tend to be from Flannery O’Connor, C.S. Lewis or B.B. King.
For a while she moved among literary circles in New York and was at a dinner party with an elite group of writers one night. The writers were talking about the usefulness of religious imagery in their writing especially the Lord’s Supper, and that no one really believed that it was anything more than symbolic.
Flannery O’Connor then very bluntly responded with her thick middle Georgia accent, “If it is only a symbol, then to hell with it.”
Needless to say she was not invited over again.
She makes an important point.
Either salvation means everything, salvation is for real and is the only thing that counts or it means nothing at all. If salvation is only a useful metaphor and symbol then it is a metaphor and symbol that are hollowed out and empty, meaningless. Then to hell with it.
Either the sacrament carries the gift and grace of salvation or it is a waste our time.
The other great sacrament is baptism. Today is the feast of Pentecost, one of the great feasts of the Church, sometimes it is called Whitsunday because of the white baptismal gowns once worn by those being baptized.
Baptism. It is either the most important day in our lives, or it is worthless. If it is only a ceremony, if it is only a symbol, then to hell with it.
Ah…but if it is sacrament, if it is the means of God’s Grace, if it is the gift of unwarranted salvation, then that is a wonderful and awe filled thing, a fearful and trembling thing, the very grace of God washing over us…
Pentecost.
Baptism.
The Holy Spirit builds her nest in the home and hearth of creation.
The animating breath of God.
Prophecy to the breath that these bones may live, prophecy to these dead bones, that they may live.
Today we celebrate something outrageous, something over the top, something rude, something interrupting business as usual, a mighty wind, a holy fire, a divine breath.
Today we celebrate the Holy Spirit being breathed into creation, into our humanity, the very breath and essence and God invades and infects our lives that these dead bones may live.
Think about it.
The Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life, very God of very God, co-eternal with the Father and the Son, worshiped and glorified…the very God, the Holy Spirit is now part of our lives, our mortality, our humanity, our creatureliness is now mingled with God.
Salvation itself. No room for mere symbols and metaphors. Only intimate, sweet, overwhelming, rapturous Communion with the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Blood and bones, flesh and blood, concrete and real, down home and yet utterly, absolutely transcendent.
Nothing abstract, merely the very God in our very flesh.
Something worth celebrating, salvation that counts for everything.
What God has joined together let no one put asunder.
The waters beckon.