A considerable number of years after I left my secondary school, a reunion was organised. I had kept in touch with very few of my fellow students, so when I arrived, I felt as if I were in a large room full of strangers.
I gazed around, desperately trying to recognise someone. Then, as I looked at groups of men and women chatting to each other, I began to notice the way they were standing, or the expressions on their faces, or the way they gestured or laughed. Those aspects of them were still the same as I remembered and they could be identified by them, whereas their overall appearances had changed tremendously.
Suddenly, it dawned on me who many of them were and the evening became a reunion.
In the accounts of Jesus after the Resurrection, some of his disciples did not recognise him when they saw him alive again. For some it was his voice that revealed his identity. For others, like the travellers on the road to Emmaus, it was recognising specific actions such as the blessing of the bread.
Of course, we meet many people whom we have not met before and sometimes we may draw conclusions about them, positive or negative, even on early encounters.
In the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, we see the gathering together of a huge number of people who would be noticeable to others because of their race, religion or attitudes. Or, like Peter and other disciples, who had suddenly gained confidence in their futures as leaders, preachers and healers, they felt themselves empowered to move forward in their lives.
We will all change in many ways in the course of our lives and, consequently, other people will regard us in different ways at various times just as we regard them. They will notice the sort of people we strive to be and they will observe our spirituality and Christian faith if those aspects of ourselves can be seen as part of the whole person.
May we all feel confidence in Christ’s presence in our lives and may other people draw conclusions about us which reflect the people we try to be.
Blessings to you all.
Pip