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The Magic Ring
Once upon a time there was a man who had inherited a magic ring from his father. It was silver and had nine different colored stones which each gave its wearer a different virtue. There was a stone for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.10 The man wore this ring the rest of his life and was known for his piety and generosity. The man was well loved in the community and everyone aspired to be like him in some way. This was especially true of the man’s three sons. Each longed to wear the ring one day and live as his father had lived.
When the father was advanced in age, he was torn about which of his sons he would leave the ring with upon his death. They were each deserving of it in different ways. Finally, he took the ring to a jeweler and asked that he craft two identical rings.11
Before his death, the father called his sons to his bedside and gave each of them a ring. He said to them, “I am now giving you the ring my father gave me. If you wear this ring, you will live lives of piety and generosity. Its magic will produce in you the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.
We left the disciples weeks ago, after the resurrection. As we return to them today, we again find them in Jerusalem, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, 10 days after he had risen to be with God. It was the festival of Shovout, celebrating both the first fruits of the harvest and when the law was given to the Hebrew people in the wilderness.
The disciples had been waiting. Jesus had left them and promised them that there would be a Spirit. Perhaps they considered what that Spirit would be like. Perhaps they had hoped it would tell them what to do. Perhaps they hoped it would bring comfort in these difficult times.
They might have not imagined the wind–the strong wind that blew throughout the home that they were staying in. and certainly not the flames, individual little flames on each, one for each of them.
This is not the quiet Spirit, this is not the Spirit of Peace and Comfort, though, yes it’s the same Spirit, but… that this not the part the Spirit of God sent to the disciples, first manifested as to them, instead it was in wind and fire and noise and words.
It was an incredible moment, lasted for the morning, and they had to learn how to live in this new world–where such amazing experiences might be rare, where they just have to live.
And we’ve seen Paul’s version of how this turned out. There have been struggles over who would be in charge, who’s understanding of Jesus would be prioritized, and what it would require of each person. Paul was writing to the Galatians of such things, of what it means for them to be followers of Jesus in this world.
And I think Paul understood that this would be hard. Paul calls it the flesh, but it is often the ways of the world, the ones that call us to center ourselves, our desires, our wants over and above all others, sometimes even at the expense of others. Paul’s list of actions are ways that we damage relatoinship with God, with others, with ourselves–pitting us against each other, comparing ourselves to others, taking advantage of another–not honoring their belovedness, their image of Godness.
After the father passed, the sons began to wonder who actually had the father’s magic ring and which had only been given copies. The brothers began to resent each other and quarrel. The rings were threatening to destroy the bond between them which had been so deep. Finally, the older brother said to the others, “We can’t keep going like this. Our father would be ashamed to see us squabbling over these rings. Why don’t we go to the jeweler and ask him which is the real ring. Then we will know once and for all and we can be at peace.”
So they agreed and took their rings to the jeweler. They asked him to reveal which was the true ring. The jeweler pulled out his loupe12 and examined each ring carefully. Then he laughed.
“I’m sorry, boys. I really outdid myself on these rings. I cannot tell by sight which of these rings is the original and which are the copies. We will have to test them another way.”
“How?” the sons asked.
“Well, we’ll have to see which of these rings is the most effective. Each of you will have to live as if you are the one who possesses the true ring. In time it should be obvious whose life exhibits the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.”
The sons agreed to this plan. Each did his best to emulate his father in generosity and piety. Each tried to live as if they possessed the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And each did so well that they never were really sure who had the magic ring.13
~ My retelling of a Jewish parable
Was there magic in the rings? Did they need the rings to help them channel their father’s way of life? Did they do it on their own? Maybe they needed those rings of their father to help them learn and grow.
When the Spirit came in power, wind, and fire, she didn’t leave, but continued in transforming lives and communities. Like the law that was given to the people to help them learn how to live in the world post-slavery, the Spirit came too to help show us how to live in the world together.
And the results of the Spirit in our lives are not actions but a way of being, lifestyle, focus of our world. But according to Paul, we can’t do it ourselves. It is only in the Spirit that we able to live lives of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.
It is with the Spirit, and with choosing to live in the Spirit, that we become more loving, more joyful, more peacemakers, more patient, more kind, more good, more gentle, more faithful, more in control of our impulses.
And I think it’s worth knowing that, worth thinking about how it isn’t always simple or easy, or calm. Sometimes love is a parade. Sometimes joy revolution, sometimes kindless and justice is turning tables. Just because it is says patience doesn’t mean you don’t stand up, don’t speak up, don’t advocate for those in need, or don’t build the beloved community centered on love.
The spirit comes in wind and fire, gives us love, joy, ___
to share, to grow, to build the kin-dom of God.
Paul wrote to the Galatians that they had experienced the Spirit and should trust it. And we don’t know what that was life for them.
Maybe the spirit came down in wind, maybe the spirit came in fire, maybe the spirit came gave them the ability to speak in languages they hadn’t know before.
or.
Maybe the Spirit helped show them the way to live–gave them the way to be more loving, joyful, kind
And maybe we need that. Probably absolutely need that when the United Church of Christ gathers like we did this week. It is not full of f*** speaking in tongues whether languages that exist that they did not know or languages of the Angel says our Pentecostal siblings experience. I don’t recall any fire from heaven but that might have been at one of the workshops I didn’t make it to. And the wind was surprisingly home ish but were the deepest lake in Wisconsin
And maybe Paul had seen some things over his travels. Experienced some things of the spirit working of God in people’s lives or maybe he knew not everyday. Could look like those days. The ones filled with fire from the sky. Some were just going to be Mondays
Even people who have the most the most experienced of the holy Spirit visceral interactive going to have lies to live and the days to come
And not everyday will be Friday night for your birthday or pride parade but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a day that that may be. And one that God is active and working in one that the spirit shows up in our world our lives
And these gifts. The fruit are not the inevitable consequences of calling ourselves Christians, but are the gifts of are the results of a life. Life lived out in the way and in unity and in connection with the spirit and Paul doesn’t think we can do it without the spirit that on our own we cannot be as loving as kind as good as faithful
We’re going to hold that as true, for the moment. I wonder what that would mean when we look around the world then? What would it mean when we see folks loving, and joyful….
Read Maybe God is like that…
Maybe God is like that. Maybe where we see love joy… we are seeing God moving in the world.
Maybe it can be the gauge of God’s movement and love in the world, not if someone professes a particular belief. Maybe it’s the gauge through which we look at ourselves, if we are living in line with, in the way of, on the path of, if we are journeying with the Holy Spirit, if we are loving each other,