The Spirit Frees - Towards Light!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 2nd week in Easter time 

April 14, 2021: Acts 5: 17-26; John 3:16-21

From the prison to freedom, from the chains to an unfettered spirit, from fear to total commitment... the Spirit strengthens one to walk towards the light! The disciples were a transformed lot... they were the same who ran away when Jesus was arrested; the ones who denied and betrayed when there were pressures; the ones who closed themselves up for fear of the Jews who killed Jesus...but now, they are totally different!

They were standing up in public places and speaking up; they were answering the authorities back and affirming their connection to Jesus the Christ; they did things that were controversial and vouched for it and claimed responsibility; they were arrested and they expressed happiness about it; they were warned and threatened, and they cared nothing about it... they were a transformed lot! They stood for truth - to which Jesus said he came to bear witness; the truth that Jesus claimed that he was! They stood for that same truth!

At times truth hurts and at times it costs much, but if in the Spirit, we would count nothing too demanding! This is what they learnt from Christ, understood in the Spirit and lived in their concrete lives. They were ready to give up anything...their safety, their comfort, and even their lives.

Even today, people like Bro. Mario of Chalakudi fame, who have risked their lives for the sake of Christ... and many others similar, but not known in the public forum, are living illustrations of the episode from Acts that we read today. A youngster known to me, whom I consider a great inspiration to me, born in a hindu family, but chose to be a Christian and chose to become a priest and threw his well paid engineering job in a firm and disappeared from his family, to join a religious congregation, because they were mad at him in the family.

If I have the courage to see the Truth, accept it and live for it, nothing can stop me, not even death; because I have within me eternal life. And the Spirit is Truth, truth is light...in the Spirit, I am constantly moving towards the Light!