Grace and Peace from the mystery in whom we live and move and have our being. The Promise of the Holy Spirit.
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.'”
John 14:8-17
I’m kind of with the disciples on this one. They have heard so much about the “Father” from Jesus. Jesus always left the disciples, going away to have private conversations with the Father. Jesus often spoke of doing nothing separate from the will of his Father.
If I had been a disciple, I too would want to see the Jefe. The Boss. The one who signs off on all this abiding love and unmentionable suffering. The One who would be infinitely by our side after Jesus is gone and unavailable for our stupid questions.
Maybe the disciples are beginning to smell the coffee concerning the reality of Jesus permanent departure. What would they do now? What if there was no one to guide them? No one to tell them where to fish? Break bread with them. Stand up to their bullies? Tell jokes about foolish emperors? They insisted on an explanation on the parables. Now they’re just going to miss his amazing story telling.
They did not leave everything to follow a mysterious invisible God. They followed a liberating charismatic person named Jesus. The Jesus of miraculous interventions and compassionate dialogues with the estranged and the broken.
Disciples in denial
Though in denial, the disciples were aware of the forceful parting that was to come. The disciples must have wanted assurance they would not be left as spiritual orphans. No wonder they asked Jesus, to “Please show us the Father.”
Jesus knew their attachment to him was deep and their transitioning into a deeper union with God’s mystery would be a challenge. Only Jesus understood they would experience what he was experiencing with “The Father.”
No wonder Jesus was always wanting to connect the disciples to the One who is greater than himself.
Yet understandably, their attachment to Jesus grew.
Thinking back, when I’ve wanted reassurance of God’s touchable presence in moments of unmanageable worry, anxiety, and depression I’ve desired evidence.
This is why the words Jesus spoke are perhaps the most profound words spoken in the Bible.
God is in you
“If you have seen the Father, you have seen me.”
“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me”
“You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”
This emphasis on being IN one another must be what physicists are now calling quantum entanglement. This unexplainable and mysterious connection between particles is described this way, “If you measure a property of one entangled particle, you instantly know the corresponding property of the other, regardless of how far apart they are. The link persists even if separated by light-years.” (Google AI, 2025)
Jesus appears to be describing something more intimate than even what was experienced with he and the disciples in the flesh. A oneness so indescribable, it cannot be explained. Jesus allows this oneness by giving himself up. The only way we can make way for the experience of Oneness. Opening the heart unconditionally and releasing a judgmental mind.
I’ll try to describe what I’m talking about by sharing a conversation I had with my daughter Andi.
Guardians of the Galaxy
My daughter was sharing with me how a scene from the 2014 movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, from the Marvel collection moved her.
The character, Groot, is a beloved sentient tree-like alien known for his limited vocabulary. His signature line throughout the film is “I am Groot.” Though his only line, his range of inflection and emotion speak volumes.
Groot travels with Peter Quill, a human who was abducted as a child and became a rogue forager. They and a few other misfits set on a mission to save the galaxy from Ronan the Accuser.
In the scene their spaceship is plummeting toward the planet. They huddle together on the floor of the spaceship in speechless resignation. Groot, in heartbreaking fashion grows and extends his leaf scattered roots wide and provides life giving shelter for his friends. The snarky racoon faces Groot and asks with tears in his eyes, “Groot why are you doing this? You are going to die.” Groot with his roots still growing and surrounding his friends says, “We are Groot.”
In his sacrifice they live. Groot dies but gives birth to something new.
The promise of the holy spirit
It’s a very tender and moving scene and I said to Andi, “This is it! This is the answer I’ve been seeking as to the reason Jesus breathed on the disciples in the Upper Room!
The instructions Jesus leaves with the disciples and us, and what he did in the Upper Room is symbolic of Jesus connecting all of us. We are one in Spirit! Rooted in Christ! There is the connection we are longing for.
We are Groot! Rooted in One faith, One hope and One Love.
Amen
Wednesday Respite is a 30-min contemplative service of scripture, prayer, music and a Spirited Touchpoint by Henry Rojas, spiritual director at Spirit in the Desert.
Touchpoint is a reflection on where God’s story touches our life story. It is a short homily based on a biblical story of people in the Old and New Testaments and their relationship with God. Our spiritual ancestors’ experience of God’s grace connects with our lives in the present and our relationship with the Divine. Previous Touchpoints are available as PDFs or on SoundCloud.
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