The Hebrew word for spirit—ruach—is a word that also means breath or wind. It is the ruach of God that hovers over the waters, birthing all of creation out of swirling nothingness. It is the ruach of God that breathes life into dry bones, making of them a new creation. When God sends forth the divine ruach, creatures spring to life and abundance springs from the earth. When God breathes the life-giving ruach upon the heavens and the earth, all things are renewed.
Just as a newborn takes her first breath and opens her eyes to see her new world, so also do we catch a vision of God’s new world every time the breath of God’s spirit fills our hearts and our lungs. The breath and wind of the Spirit remind us that our God can create order from chaos and life from death. The Spirit is our promise that God, who created all, will also make all things new.
This message is an excerpt from “Renewal of Creation,” a free, downloadable “All Anew” devotional by the Rev. Melissa Bills. Today we remember Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, who died in 1654.
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