"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

- Luke 11:13

"I believe in the Holy Spirit ..."

- from The Apostles' Creed

The Holy Spirit is - for some - the spookiest person of the Trinity. We can make mental analogies to help us understand the Father and the Son. But the Holy Spirit eludes our grasp. And we fear what we don't understand.

On top of that, film and television fill our minds with terrifying images of spirits possessing people. Out of contol, these people do painful, humiliating and horrifying things. And then we're introduced to the Holy Spirit.   

How can we embrace the Holy Spirit and not fear him?

Here are three ideas that we've found helpful ...

First, we can look at the mission of Jesus. The Holy Spirit carries forward Jesus' life-giving ministry. Jesus gives his followers a mission and then sends them the Holy Spirit to help them carry it out. As men and women are filled with the Spirit, they continue to do the works that Jesus did.

Second, we can trust the Spirit with the same faith with which we trust the Son and the Father. The Spirit is given to us by the Father and the Son. We trust that they know how to give good gifts (as today's passage articulates).

Lastly, we can draw comfort from the fact that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus promised his followers that he would be with them always. He is present with each of us, today, via his Spirit. To receive the Holy Spirit is to receive the Spirit of Jesus.

What fears do you experience when we talk about the Holy Spirit? Where have you found comfort as you've moved past those fears into a deeper relationship with the Spirit?