Wind Upon The Waters

Genesis 1: 1-5 & Mark 1: 4-11

Roger Lynn

January 12, 2020

(CLICK HERE for the audio for this sermon)

Imagine if you approached the opening chapters of Genesis from the perspective of a movie being directed by the Holy Spirit. The wind! The waves! The power! God’s Spirit at work in the world, bringing shape and form and order out of the dark, chaotic void. The storm sweeping over the landscape – powerful enough to make the mountains shake. And yet bringing strength and peace to the people. The heavens themselves being torn apart so that God’s Spirit can meet us face to face. If that isn’t the stuff of movies, I don’t know what is. Or perhaps imagine an orchestra performing the soundtrack for such a movie. The musicians  take the stage and as the instruments are being tuned a chaotic cacophony of sound begins to swell. But then God’s Spirit steps up and taps the conductor’s baton to focus all the energy in the room towards a common purpose. The music begins, softly at first, but then the tempo and intensity builds as the intricate harmonies and rich sounds of the various instruments are woven together into a vibrant tapestry of tones. You can almost feel the wind sweeping through the world, reshaping everything in its path. We are reminded once again that the God who stands behind such stories and images is both powerful and present.

In the creation story found in those opening verses of Genesis, we hear that “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) One of my favorites words in all of scripture makes its debut appearance here in this verse. “Ruach!” It is the Hebrew word which is variously translated “wind,” “breath,” and “spirit.” It is this “Ruach” of God which shapes creation and brings life out of lifelessness. And the “waters” over which God’s “Ruach” blows represents the primordial, chaotic forces of the “formless void.” The power of God’s life-giving Spirit is more potent than whatever chaos we might encounter in the world.

There is much in our world today which can easily be understood in terms of chaos. It threatens to overwhelm us with swirling darkness. We are faced with the formless void of war and violence. Greed and complacency seem at times to be ever-present. Our world is all too often defined by pain and suffering on both grand and intimate scales. And we find ourselves feeling both helpless and hopeless in the face of it all.

That is why I find such inspiration in today’s scripture readings. There is hope to be found here! In spite of the chaos and the darkness which is swirling around us – indeed, in the very midst of such chaos – God’s Ruach is even now at work, giving form and shape and substance to our world and our lives. Whenever God’s Spirit breaks into our world, something powerful and transforming occurs – light out of darkness, mountains quaking, strength and peace in the midst of the storm, purpose and direction for our living. And the message we find in scripture, from beginning to end, is that the Ruach of God is continually breaking into our world. Indeed, every corner of creation is infused with that life-giving Breath of God. The same wind of God which swept over the dark waters at the beginning of time blows through our lives today. It is this “Ruach” of God which fills our lungs and animates our living. The question is not, “Where is God’s Spirit?” The question is, “When will we begin to notice that God’s Spirit is already here?”

We can become dismayed by the chaos which threatens to overwhelm us. We can lose heart and hope as we witness the atrocities which seem more and more prevalent with each passing day. Or we can be on the lookout for evidence that God’s Ruach still blows across the chaotic waters of our world. We can draw strength from the knowledge that the same Spirit of God which tore open the heavens to fill Jesus’ life continues to pour power and strength and direction into our lives as well. In Genesis, God spoke and called light into being out of the darkness. What might happen even now if we allowed God to speak through us to the darkness of our world today? A word of peace – a word of hope – a word of light – a word of power!

Feel the wind blowing! It is not just a gentle breeze, but a wind that pushes and shapes and forms. The Ruach of God blows powerfully in our world. Will we risk letting it blow through us? Imagine what might begin to take shape among us! Breathe it in and feel it blow!