Wind, Earthquakes, and Fire. Good or Not?

I was lying in bed, a few nights ago, listening to the strong winds blow across Iowa.  And this thought came into my mind:  The wind — the Spirit — often disturbs our lives.  Often plays havoc with nature’s beauty. 

And yet, I actually love the wind. It is a very real reminder to me of God’s persistence. 

And since Pentecost is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to talk some about how the Spirit — ruah, wind (Hebrew) and  pneuma, breath and wind (Greek) creates. 

Think about this:  air is basic to life.  Right?  

Without taking-in, breathing, air — even plant life is impossible.

All that is natural, human or animal, even sea life breathe — take in and release air.

Random thoughts:

It was the ruah — wind, in the beginning, that moved over the face of the deep and created order out of the void.

….the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters…..and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night…(Gen.1)

On the Day of Pentecost we are told that a mighty wind blew through the house where the disciples were and filled them with a wisdom — the Spirit — not seemingly present within them before.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability (Acts 2)

Those two examples of wind seem to have made monstrous changes.  Created possibilities that were not possible before.

The wind, then, both creates and disturbs, carve and breaks, smoothes and roughs up.  Messes our hair and messes our lives.

There is also a silence in wind.  When the world is so still it makes you stop breathing for a moment.  Elijah felt this pure silence as God past by.

‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.(1 Kings)

In Old Testament theology, the forces of nature: wind, earthquakes, and fire are things that were associated with God’s presence.  All of them have powerful influence on people as well as nature.

I personally resinate to the ‘pure silence.’  This is when God can feel most present to me.  Besides the fact that there is little danger in silence.

However, the truth is, it is the more powerful and effective forces of nature, that cause refinement and cleansing.

Fire, in its distraction, also purifies.

Earthquakes and wind are capable of great damage and destruction; ruining people’s life and property. But then come the possibility of rebuilding, beginning again, making something new.

When God came in a mighty wind and tongues of fire, on the Day of Pentecost,  He made a huge impact on those present. A much larger impact than Jesus did  just standing before them breathing on them and saying “receive the Holy Spirit…” on that first Easter night.

²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ (Jn.20)

My imagination is that when God can’t get us to listen with, a breath of peace, he then uses a more forceful method to get our attention.

Like striking Saul with lightening (my interpretation) on the road.

³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground…(Acts 9)

It was God’s only way to get Saul’s full attention.

I don’t know about you, but I do think there are times when God has to knock me down; in order for me to realize that he is there to pick me up again.

What do you think?