ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 18, 2026
Yesterday, in the early evening, I got my lawn mowed. There are parts of it that are brown and haven’t really grown, but other sections that get a bit more shade that were getting pretty tall. I waited until the temperature was 94 before heading out. Yes, it was hot, but I was amazed at how wonderful it felt when I stepped into the shade and I caught some of the wind. There were not strong winds, but the breeze was enough to feel refreshing and to genuinely cool me down.
Now there is no way of knowing for sure, but in what I experienced last night, it makes me wonder if that was one of the reasons the words for Spirit in both Hebrew and Greek (the two main languages of the Bible) can also be translated as wind or breath. Right at the beginning of the Bible, we find the words, “When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). It is important to remember how the writers of our scriptures were, for the most part, desert people. And though mowing the lawn was uncomfortable, at any moment, I had the option of stepping into the AC of the house and getting ice water. For those in the desert, a breeze on a hot day must has felt like a gift from God.
In the prophetic poetry of Isaiah 44:3, we find:
For I will pour water on the thirsty land
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants
and my blessing on your offspring.
In the parallelism common in Hebrew poetry, the refreshing water on dry ground is in parallel with the spirit upon the people. God poured out the spirit/wind/breath upon the people, and it was as refreshing as water is to a thirsty land. I know my life needs that kind of refreshment more often than I realize, yet God is gracious and persistent with that gift.
Thank you, Good and Gracious God, for the Spirit that is poured out wherever your creation is needing a little renewal. In your Spirit is found life, a true gift for those whose life has become a bit parched. Amen.
