THE RECONCILING SPIRIT: THE DOVE WITH COLOUR AND STRENGTH

Abstract

Abstract The dove is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and also of peace and reconciliation. However, the usual depiction of the dove may not be a good representation of the content of or of the nature and work of the Spirit. This article aims to enhance our vision of the of reconciliation by examining the apostle Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians about the of the and the of reconciliation. The article also consumers the deliberations of several international meetings, and brings together a number of reflections on the from India and Korea. The paper concludes that the heavenly bird is not limited to the dove, nor is the imagery of the Holy restricted to the dove. The is not white and delicate but colourful and strong, and it is through these characteristics that the leads us in the way of Christ in the struggle to live together in reconciled life. ********** Judging by the covers of books about the Holy Spirit, one can see that the dove is undoubtedly the most commonly used symbol for the Spirit. The dove--and the Spirit--are often also associated with the gospel message of peace or reconciliation. However, despite the dove's biblical pedigree as the symbol of God's presence that descended on Jesus at his baptism, I the use of this image alone distinctly unhelpful in communicating the reality of the of God, and also the meaning of reconciliation. The symbol of the dove as used on badges, cards and banners usually represents either inner tranquillity and purity--without a community connection--or else the kind of peace on earth that we sometimes dream of at Christmas, viz. merely the cessation of conflict without the activity of reconstruction. The dove is pure white and sometimes comes close to looking like the fat turkey of consumerism, or else it resembles the eagle of empire. In the scriptures, the peace that comes in Jesus Christ is not a blanket of snow that covers everything and makes the world colourless and white, nor is it the kind of absence of activity that makes the waters still. Rather, the peace of Christ is represented by the colourful community of believers striving to live together in the of Christ and experiencing reconciliation as the result of a deep prayer life, strenuous activity, fearless witness, agonizing suffering, sacrificial sharing and living together in a complex world full of competing spirits of one sort or another. The dove seems to me hardly compatible with the raw power and vibrant colour of the Spirit, who brooded at the creation, inspired the prophets, propelled the infant church into mission, transformed lives, and freed people from all kinds of bondage. In our imagery, we have captured the dove of freedom and power, and caged it. The heavenly dove has become like the doves in the temple that were being sold for sacrifice (Matt. 21:12-13). The of reconciliation Without any overt reference to the dove, in his second letter to the Corinthians Paul describes the of the (2 Cor. 3:8) and contrasts it with the of Moses. According to Paul, though Moses's had its glory, its end was death. It cannot be compared with the glory of Jesus Christ, whose brings life for all. Paul contrasts the two ministries by considering two letters: one written by the of the living God on human hearts, and the other inscribed on tablets of stone; one bringing righteousness and the other condemnation (2 Cor. 3:1-11). The point is not to diminish Moses hut to put into relief the difference that the new life in the Spirit--the new creation--makes. The Lord is Spirit, the fullness of God's glory, which Moses experienced only in a veiled way. However, we, having our veils removed when we turn to the Lord, see with unveiled faces and are transformed (2 Cor. 3:12-18; 5:17). Later in the same letter, Paul identifies the ministry of the Spirit as a ministry of reconciliation, modelled on that of Jesus Christ, through whom human beings are reconciled to God (2 Cor. …