Such a great illustration of the power of our thinking to shape our reality. We have the power to shape our reality by how we think about it. Brene Brown talks about this in her Netflix special, “Call to Courage” – she talks about “the story I’m telling myself.” About any instance in our lives, any circumstance, it is wise to describe what we’re seeing or understanding as “the story I am telling myself” – because how often do we really see things as they are? Not very often. Not as often as we think. It is a human trait to spin the story: to make ourselves the victim, or the hero, when we really aren’t; to imply intention to others around us, when we have no idea what their intention actually was or is; to perceive emotion in a text or an email that may not be there. We do it often. What do you think was the story that the disciples were telling themselves during this speech that Jesus was making? I think there’s a hint in what Jesus said to them: “I will not leave you orphaned.” (v. 18) Jesus had already told them that he would be betrayed – in fact, that one of them, one of the disciples themselves would betray him to the Romans. What feelings, what emotions would come with such a statement? Disbelief? Fear? Maybe shock, that any would betray their Jesus? But I’m guessing mostly, they would feel horror, that any of them could betray him; and deep, deep sorrow – that they would no longer have their Jesus with them. These are men (and women) who had left their families behind, their work behind, had left everything behind to follow Jesus. They had traveled with him, eaten with him, witnessed all that he had done to feed and heal people. What would their lives be like without him? I think the story the disciples told themselves was that they would feel orphaned. Alone. Like a rudderless ship, just drifting….instead of moving with purpose and doing the good work like they had done with Jesus. I think the story they told themselves is that they would no longer matter, no longer have the work, and no longer have that deep sense of purpose. And Jesus said to them, in essence: no. “I will not leave you orphaned.” “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” “…the Father…will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” No, you will not be rudderless, or purposeless. You have my work to do, my commandments to follow. And God will send you help. God will send you the Spirit. How do you understand the Spirit? Jesus said something key about the Spirit, that “the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him.” (v. 17) The world – the secular world – cannot receive the Spirit because the story the world tells themselves is that the Spirit does not exist; or the Spirit does not care about humanity; or believing in the Spirit doesn’t “pay,” doesn’t provide material goods or material well-being; or the Spirit doesn’t change their lives. Those are the stories so many tell themselves. But that’s not what Jesus said the Spirit is. Jesus said the Spirit is truth, and the Spirit is help. Not help to be rich, or physically safe, or always comfortable – but help to do God’s work in the world. We are not alone, and we have help. It’s interesting: only the Gospel of John refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Advocate.” An alternate definition for the word the writer of John used is “Helper.” Do you think of the Spirit as your helper? I usually think of the Spirit as the Comforter – that part of the Holy Trinity that will intercede for me (as Paul said – Romans 8:26) as I pray, “with sighs too deep for words.” Acts 2:41-47 Genesis 1:1-3 I also think of the Spirit as a prod, a force pushing me to follow through on the commitment I have made, to be a follower of Christ. But I don’t always think of the Spirit as “help.” Which is too bad, really, because these days I really need help. I need help to see possibility amid all the bad news, of climate change and war and injustice and poverty. I need help to see possibility in my fellow humans. I need help to realize that we have not yet exhausted all the possible ways we can work together to alleviate poverty and create just systems and help one another live. I need help to keep at the work, no matter what else happens around me, or even to me. Do you need help, too? Jesus promised the disciples, and Jesus promises us, that we are not alone; we are not “orphaned;” we have help. The question is, or rather the questions are: do we trust that that help is available to us? and do we remember to call upon that help? I am making some assumptions here, that you are like me: that sometimes in the stream of news about Iran, about our government, about ICE and the welfare of detainees, about the hate and harassment experienced by black and brown people, and LGBTQ people, about the climate….in that stream, I feel like a stone worn down by water. The flow of hardship and struggle and bad news are wearing me down. And even though I know my life is easier than others – I have work to do that brings me joy; I have love in my life; I have what I need – even so, I feel like someone’s been going at my soul with sandpaper. And it’s got a pretty nasty grit. Anyone feel that way? When I get to that place of weariness, it is hard to remember to keep reaching out my hand to the Spirit. To keep reaching out to Love, to connect again to WHY I need to keep keeping on. It is so easy to fall into a funk of “what does it matter? What good can I do, in the face of all that I see and hear?” It is so easy to perceive the Spirit as yet one more voice in my head telling me that I am falling short in the face of all this mess. Maybe the voice in your head tells you something similar. Maybe it says something different, but equally wearing and tough to carry. Let’s take a moment to refresh ourselves with this image of the Spirit as Help. Help for us to do God’s work, yes, but also Help to remind us whose we are. That we belong to God. That God will not leave us, ever. That God will support our souls with love and courage, I also especially in those moments and in those places where we can’t seem to locate that love and courage on our own. We are not orphaned. The Spirit is with us. May we let that Spirit fill us, and refuel us.