Acts 2:1-11/ 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13/ Jn 20:19-23
Just a couple of days ago, there was an amazing as well as alarming discovery at a place that is quite near here.
A group of workers were resting against a tree near the Outram Park MRT Station.
They were also admiring its heart-shape stump. Then something else caught their attention.
Nestled in a crevice between two of the branches of the tree was a rather strange-looking object.
It was strange enough for the workers to alert the police, and that strange-looking object was later identified as a WWII hand grenade.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from the army was immediately activated and sent to the scene.
The team managed to remove the WWII relic from the tree and safely dispose of it several hours later.
Who would have thought that the interesting and amazing sight of a heart-shaped stump on a tree would lead to an alarming discovery of a WWII hand grenade?
So, for almost 70 years, the grenade was there between the branches while time just went by.
People would have walked past that tree and children might have played near that tree or even climbed its branches but it remained undiscovered until now.
And even through such a long time had passed, it was uncertain whether that grenade would explode or not and hence the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called in.
It is rather strange to think that a tree with a heart-shape stump would have a hand grenade between its branches.
This alarming discovery may give us some spiritual reflections about ourselves.
Our hearts are made pure and beautiful in order to hold the love of God.
Yet, lodged in the cracks and the dark corners of our hearts are our sins.
And while that WWII hand grenade had remained unexploded, our sins have caused explosions within ourselves, and the shrapnel of our sins have also caused hurt and harm others.
The disciples of Jesus would have known this well enough. When the sins in their hearts exploded, they betrayed and denied and deserted Jesus.
Their hearts were shattered and they gathered behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Yes, fear has gripped and overwhelmed them.
And where fear is overwhelming, there is no peace of heart at all.
Hence, when the Risen Christ appeared to His fearful disciples in that room, His first words were: Peace be with you.
He came not to judge or condemn them. He came to bring them peace and heal them of the wounds caused by the explosion of their sins.
His healing peace brought about joy in their hearts and they were ready to receive the Holy Spirit when He breathed upon them the Spirit of forgiveness and healing.
Today, as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the peace that Jesus wants to give us.
It is a peace that brings about forgiveness and healing.
It is a peace that makes us realize that the Spirit is given to each of us in a particular way for a good purpose, as we heard in the 2nd reading.
Yes, the Spirit is sent into our hearts to diffuse and clear away the sinful explosives that are hidden in the cracks and corners of our hearts.
The Spirit is the powerful love of God that will turn our fear into fortitude.
It is with the Spirit that our worldly words will be turned into heavenly prayers.
It is with the Spirit that our darkness will be turned into light, and our falsehood into truth.
It is with the Spirit that we will bring order out of chaos and love out of hatred.
It is with the Spirit that we will be sent forth to clear out the sinful explosives in the hearts of others.
And just as Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples, we too must breathe in the Holy Spirit.
And with the breath of the Holy Spirit, let us speak words of peace that will bring about healing and forgiveness.
Our hearts are made for peace but there is always the presence of sinful explosives that can shatter our hearts and plunge us into the darkness of fear.
May the Holy Spirit guard and protect us as we proclaim and bear witness to the Good News of peace and forgiveness.
News and photos