It's A Bird! It's A Plane!

Pentecost Sunday...so big, who wants to tackle it, really. So basic to the fabric of our lives that sometimes it cannot be seen.

What I wonder is, why is the Holy Spirit so often depicted as a dove? I know at least part of the reason is because the Spirit does appear as one at least once, but why does She do that?

After God's done flooding the world, Noah sends out a dove from the ark to fly around and check things out. A kind of biblical analogue to the canary in the coal mine, if you will (and since the dove doesn't get eaten you know all the dinosaurs have drowned). He sent out a raven too, but no one cares about that.

First time out, the dove comes back: the land's not ready to live on yet. The second time, our bird returns with an olive branch: life has begun to flourish, but there's not yet a place to set down and live. Third time out, and the dove doesn't return: the earth is ready and the dove chooses to live in it. Curious that Noah wasn't concerned about losing half a breeding pair of doves. Did he count on using them as messenger pigeons and bring along a dozen? Or is the bird a symbol of something else?

Some people would say it's a metaphor of the history of faith. The Spirit is sent forth the first time and finds that people are not ready, there is no place for Her to dwell. Then, the people of God: here, it begins to be ready; here, the Spirit finds life is being prepared, but not yet a home. Then, Jesus comes, and now the Spirit does not need to return. The dove goes forth every seven days. The movement of the Spirit is the movement of creation, as its promise and potential is more perfectly fulfilled.

Other people might say it's an allegory of Jesus' ministry. The dove appears first at his baptism: the people haven't received his message yet, and aren't ready for the indwelling Spirit, but it is beginning. The same voice from heaven comes a second time at the Transfiguration when Jesus is seen in his glory, shining with uncreated light. Life is beginning to grow, and they have a longing for this life, but they aren't ready for the indwelling Spirit. Finally, after the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, the Spirit is sent out again. Now, they are ready. Now, it alights on them. Now it lives in them and doesn't need to return leaving them behind.

Maybe we could say it reflects the reality of our own spiritual journey. The Spirit comes to us not only scouting but preparing our ground. Announcing Christ our Lord and the truth of our salvation, making us ready; filling us with the fire of love between the soul and God, the dove in the Song of Songs, the longing of our hearts. The energy of ardour, and the rest of the seventh day.

So the Spirit moves within us, uttering sighs deeper than words, always seeking forth, always within us, always binding us to the One Who send Her, always preparing us, always driving us onwards, always abiding. Proceeding, indwelling love.

Or maybe I should spend more time reading my Bible and less time chattering on about stuff I made up.

Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore.' Maybe the raven can be disbelief or the demonic or something? Good thing it disappears from the story into irrelevance.