There were these two wolves standing on a ledge looking over a small village. The first wolf said to the other, "We need to let them know we are on the prowl again so we need to walk along the trail and let them see us". Then he said, "You go first this time, I'll follow behind".
The second said, "No, I am not a wolf and they need to see a wolf, you go first as you always did in the past".
The first was surprised to hear that. "What? You not a wolf? You and I are exactly alike! I'm just giving you the opportunity to go first instead of me all the time!"
"But I am not a wolf! I am called by another name! You, they call a wolf all the time! Just listen to them talk down there! They know which one of us is a wolf and which one is not"
The first wolf replied, "Thats foolishness! You are a wolf, but for your sake, I'll go first again and maybe next time, you will go first"
So they walked along the trail and allowed the villagers to see them. First the one that always went first was seen. "Hey!" one of the villagers exclaimed, "Theres a wolf!"
Then eventually the second one came in full view and the villagers exclaimed again, "Look, there's another one!"
And the wolves got back to the ledge and the second wolf said, "See? I told you I'm not a wolf! I'm a "Nutherwun"
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Often we see the holy spirit that way. We see Jesus and then later comes the holy spirit and we say "Look, theres a Nutherwun!"
But didn't Jesus say that I am sending another one? Or did he say a different one? What did he mean? It was necessary for Jesus to return to heaven to be at his Fathers side. He said "I will never leave you nor forsake you", yet he left and sent another one. "I will send another comforter, another one, to be with you" (paraphrased). Didn't Jesus mean "Another one just like me"?
When we see Jesus, do we not see the Father? "When you see me, you see the Father" And if we see the holy spirit, should we not also see the Father and the Son? It is to the Holy Spirits glory that we are shown the Father, and in this case, all three are one. So when we see the Holy Spirit, do we see a "Nutherwun" or do we see God? This should show just how much God is really in our lives and that Jesus truely meant he will not leave us nor forsake us.
God was and is here experiencing life with us all the time, even when we are going through hard times...in fact, especially when we are going through hard times. To pray that the "holy spirit come down" is rather redundant and foolish since God is here all the time. We just need to open our eyes to see God in our whole lives, physical, mental as well as spiritual. Our minds, bodies and spirit, all are one and one in God. There is nothing physical or spiritual in us that is separate. We are one as God is one. And we are one in God through Jesus and by the holy spirit. That is why I do not feel our bodies are inherently evil or should be hidden away in shame as if it were a pimple ready to burst anytime, sticking out for all to see and we have to hide.
Our bodies are not a necessary evil that is to carry our brains around until we die and shed it. Thinking like that, we end up shedding our brains instead!
We are one in Body, Mind and Spirit, just as God is one in Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When Jesus redeemed us, forgave us, he meant "All" and not in part, but in whole. All of creation has been redeemed,
ALL of it!
And like the husband and wife, the two, in Jesus who is fully God and fully man, became one; the flesh and the spirit became one.
Flesh is no longer evil!
Lets celebrate!
Boyd Allen
"May the Lord protect our nudity from the sight of those who will not benefit, and may he allow us to be seen by those who will."
