Walking With the Wind
The week before last the whole global economy and stranded air passengers groaned as time and millions, if not billions of dollars were lost.
And why? - wind. Yes, wind.
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano was branded the sole scapegoat while an invisible force caught little blame. Were it not for the wind the volcano could have blasted its ash high into the atmosphere for months without inconveniencing masses of humanity and the global economy. A powerful pointed current of wind pushed the volcano’s ash a thousand miles south smothering northern Europe. Had there been no wind or a northward gust nudging the ash into the arctic we would have seen a few news photos, pulled a tongue muscle while trying to pronounce the volcano’s name, and moved on with our lives.
Wind is powerful. It changes things. It certainly has in the past few weeks. Besides wind energy moving ash over a thousand miles, think about recent tornados, past hurricanes, the winds producing renewable energy everyday via giant windmills, or the daily gusts that direct the surface currents of the ocean. Wind energy moves us and practically everything else.
On the heels of the volcanic ash happenings I traveled to Bulgaria to teach a conference. The trip came very close to being cancelled. In fact, my flight from Paris, France to Sofia, Bulgaria was one of the first flights after service resumed. Ironically, the topic of this conference was wind energy. I spoke about being moved by wind energy in daily life…the wind energy that is God’s Spirit.
The word ‘spirit’ in original language of the New Testament Scriptures is pneuma [new-ma], meaning wind or breath. So, by wind energy I mean God-energy. The Spirit is the personal breath of God. Jesus promised his friends that he would send them a Spirit to comfort, counsel, guide, teach, and empower them. This wind of God moves us internally and externally providing what we need when we need it to carry out one central mission - love. This wind energy means to empower in us a deeper genuine love for God, others, and self.
Like the ash-blowing wind, God’s wind is often unexpected, powerful, and enduring. It serves various purposes in our daily lives. God-wind at our backs moves us forward even when we don’t want to move or think it’s impossible to do so. Other times when we are stuck, God provides a forceful back-wind to free us forward.
Crosswinds redirect us. These side winds provide us with a needed push and/or guidance to change course. They can catch us off guard, causing us to stumble before regaining our composure and balance. Oftentimes we need this kind of jolt to convince us to change our direction.
Wind in our face may serve several purposes. First, it may be the resistance we need to grow. In this case, pushing through a headwind produces character. Second, a gentle breeze on our face serves as a refreshing reminder of God’s loving presence. Finally, a strong wind in our face may serve to turn us around. Once we turn 180 degrees, the same wind provides the energy that is essential for moving forward.
Paul, one of the primary writers of the New Testament, encourages us to fully surrender to God’s wind energy when he writes, “since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25, NLT).” Embrace and enjoy the opportunity to be moved by God’s wind energy in every part of your life.
(This article was originally published in April 2010 in the Henry County Times)