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This fundamental gift of the Holy Spirit—whom Jesus called the “promise of the Father”—was given to the apostles at Pentecost. And in the miraculous events that accompanied the sending of the Holy Spirit, it became quite clear that the saving action of God would compellingly move forward. Those present in the Upper Room were recreated according to the order of grace to share the life of God, who is love. They were able to, as it were, “breathe with God.” This love poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit is no mere human sentiment but the indwelling presence of the divine.

It seems almost against our nature to be happy where we are, and probably to a certain extent it is. For were we not somewhat restless, were we not uncomfortable with staying too long in one place, we would not find the drive, the desire, to discover and create new things, and we would not look outside ourselves in search of relationships to enrich and improve our lives and offer us the reward of love.

Like most people, I would prefer to escape deep loss and to avoid hard and challenging times. Yet the dark has given me gifts that are immeasurably deep. It was because I wrestled with the dark that I learned to see beyond what was happening on the surface of my life, and grew to understand that everything is more than it appears to be. In time I knew that the dark is not absent of light. Light moves within the dark at a great depth. With this realization came a glimpse of the inordinate beauty and power just beyond our sight.

An important step in the spiritual life is simply to answer God’s question. God, who created you in love, who knows everything about you, is asking you, Where are you? This is not a question asked by an angry God. An angry God wouldn’t care. It is important that we see this question for what it is. By asking such a question, God is out to expose you. Not so that he can show you everything that is wrong with you, or even everything that is right, but simply because God wants to be with you where you are, and whether we know it or not: God’s already there.