Moving into Pentecost

This little beauty was glowing in the parking lot next to my car when I stopped off at the library yesterday. I love the way the light reflects from the flower and at the same time shines through those glorious seed pods.  But I could also imagine that at another time of day, or from another angle, it would be shining through the flower and reflecting from the seed pods.

Spirit -- or whatever you choose to call that glow of love, or creativity, or faith that seems to emanate from folks sometimes -- is like light, I think.  It cooperates with us, reflecting from us or shining through us in a way that makes us seem like it emanates from within.

Somehow that makes me think of something we did to celebrate Pentecost in that little church we helped start up some 20 years ago: we made headbands for all the kids (probably half that congregation was under the age of 10) with flames on them to symbolize the way people glowed with the spirit. Such a sweet memory...