Today’s Author: Scott Tunseth
The story of Nicodemus meeting Jesus is so rich, it bears a little more time. I have always been taken by Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (3:8). It’s not surprising that Nicodemus stands scratching his head. Born of the Spirit . . . “How can this be?” Jesus had said earlier that one can only see God’s kingdom if they are born again (that is, born of the Spirit). Nicodemus’ response is not surprising—at least not to me. Jesus’ words have a bit of a riddle to them.
It reminds me Bob Dylan’s “riddle” song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
How many roads must a man (sic) walk down before you call him a man?
How many times must the cannonballs fly before they’re forever banned?
How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head and pretend he just doesn’t see?
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
(Click here to watch Blowin’ in the Wind on YouTube)
Such a genius bit of writing. The answer may be blowing in the wind, but the message is not shrouded in mystery. The answers are in us. It’s hard for me to imagine Dylan didn’t know about John 3:8, but there’s no evidence that’s what inspired him to write his song, allegedly in ten minutes!
For those of us born of water and the Spirit (in Baptism), the blowing of the wind provides some clear direction:
Blowing peace where there is war.
Blowing abundance where there is want.
Blowing comfort where there is despair.
Blowing kindness where there is rancor.
You can add some more to this list. Why? Because the Spirit has blown your way and you are born anew. And if you are new, you will follow the Spirit’s lead to healing places.
Gracious and Abundant God, blow your healing Spirit on us so that we can be a breath of fresh air for this troubled world. Amen.
Mid-week devotions are authored by members of our community. If you are interested in creating a trio of reflections to be shared on an upcoming Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, contact Pastor Peter.