It’s rather marvellous that we’ve got a baptism today when one of our readings culminates with the baptism of Lydia and her whole household- a lovely coincidence, and then in our gospel reading we heard Jesus helping to prepare the disciples for his leaving them and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In tradition it was believed the Holy Spirit entered you at your baptism, so you needed a good soaking to give out a little gasp and that was how the Spirit got in! I think now we would recognise that each person is a beloved child of God, whether we realise it or not, and that each one of us has the Spirit within us. I think what makes the difference in our lives is our ability to recognise that.
It's something I often pray with people in my chaplaincy work- as I pray for the person I’m with I call them a “beloved child of God” because I think that it’s something we each need reminding of, particularly when God feels very distant. It’s easy for us to see how Edward is adored by God but do we also recognise that within ourselves? Do we remember that like a child who can lie in their parent’s arms for comfort, or when distressed, or when they just need to feel someone close, do we remember that we can be that vulnerable with God?
It’s difficult isn’t it as an adult? So much about life teaches us to toughen up, be more resilient, to push our feelings down but whatever is going on inside, however we try to mask, God knows our feelings, our thoughts, our joys and our heartaches, because as is clear from what Jesus tells his closest companions in the gospel, if we belong to God then God abides within us, lives in us, through the Spirit.
God came as a man, Jesus, to lives with us, alongside us, to be one of us, but in the Spirit God comes to live within us. Baptism I believe is our acknowledgement of that.
It’s a reminder that no matter where we are in our lives, however wonderful or however messy things are, God never waits for us to come to God, God always, always, comes to meet us where we are…and then just waits for us to realise it. God makes a dwelling-place within us until that time when we’re ready for the dwelling place prepared for us. It’s a life long journey of relationship and like most relationships there’s times when it’s easier to feel close and times it’s more difficult to feel connected to one another. It takes time, patience and love.
Now for Edward this doesn’t begin today, when he’s baptised, it began at birth, but this is the day that we acknowledge it, and give thanks for it. A sacrament, which baptism is, is the outward show of an internal grace, something of the mystery of God which isn’t necessarily tangible but can be celebrated, marked and blessed.
Today we recognise and give thanks that God lives in Edward. But my prayer for each one of us on such a joy filled day is for our ability to acknowledge ourselves, however we find ourselves, as, beloved children of God, as dwelling places for the Holy Spirit, and that through recognising this, the knowledge that we are loved exactly as we are by the creator of all that has been and all that will be, that through this we can find that beautiful, deep peace Jesus speaks of to his disciples. And that through finding this are able to help others to see that they too are loved, valued dwelling places of God. In order to, as the end of the baptism liturgy tells us- shine as a light in the world. Amen.
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