Friday Reflection: September 28, 2007

The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem is much more than the ruination of a holy place, a place of worship. It was THE temple, the only temple of Jerusalem. The people knew this temple as their place of meeting God. The pile of rubble forced one question: Where is our God?

The prophet Haggai brought some peace to hearts and souls with words that were intended to build up within their very being an awareness of God's unique care for them. "My spirit continues in your midst; do not fear." The temple stones were in ruin but the spirit of God had not been destroyed.

Those who came to know and follow Jesus Christ learned that the spirit Haggai spoke of was the "Holy Spirit." In Paul's letter to the Romans that gift from God is made quite clear: "Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

What does this speak to us today? All of us at one time or another endure pain --- be it physical or emotional. Are there not times when God seems to be so distant from our lives. During the dark moments we should not forget Haggai's words that give hope. We should trust that those moments of pain, those moments of disappointment, of loneliness ... do not have crumble of existence. The Holy Spirit, the consoler, dwells with each of us. This is what we have to bring to those empty moments. We have to trust God that the Holy Spirit will heal our pain with the aloe of hope.