March is here! After a particularly grey and soggy few months (even for an area known for dark and wet winters), I am so excited to see and feel that spring is on the way!
I always associate the month of March with wind. That can mean stormy winds, as in the old saying “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb,” but more often I think of invigorating breezes. I imagine children flying kites. And I remember a book my children and I enjoyed when they were little about the months of the year. The only illustration that has stuck with me is the one for March, with little toy sailboats on a pond.
A few nights ago, I was out walking my dog. In the darkness, a breeze was causing trees to rustle and wind chimes to play. The air around me seemed alive, as though something old was being swept away and something fresh was about to blow in. I thought of the expression, “The winds of change.” Then songs came to mind. The Italian composer, Menotti, wrote a beautiful Christmas opera for children, Amahl and the Night Visitors. As Amahl, a young shepherd boy, gazes out the window at the night sky over Bethlehem, he sings, “Oh mother! You should go out and see! There has never been such a sky. Damp clouds have shined it, and soft winds have swept it, as if to make it ready for a king’s ball.” The mystery and excitement in his voice are captivating. In more familiar songs, wind plays a crucial role, too. Without it, the star-spangled banner would not wave, nor would America the Beautiful have “amber waves of grain.”
Wind can whisper or it can roar. It can be soft as a baby’s breath, or as unbridled as a hurricane. It can capture the imagination. After all, doesn’t the beloved Mary Poppins ride in (and out) with the wind?
Wind has a spiritual dimension, too. In the original languages of the Bible, the words often translated as “wind” encompass a broader meaning. The Greek word pneuma means not only wind, but also spirit and breath. For example, John 3:8 reads, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” The English words wind and spirit are both translations of the Greek word, pneuma. Likewise, the Hebrew word ruach can mean wind, spirit, or breath. (If I ever have a sailboat, I want to name it Ruach!)
The following verses tell us something about this wind/spirit/breath. The italicized word indicates a translation of ruach (Hebrew) or pneuma (Greek.). Thinking about the variations of meaning in the original words can open the door to fresh understanding. I would encourage you to read each one three times, once using each word: wind, spirit, breath. Does this change your perception of these verses?
From the beginning of creation, wind/spirit/breath is active: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Gen. 1:2)
It is creative: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath* of the Almighty gives life.” (Job 33:4) (*In this passage, the word translated “Spirit” is ruach, as discussed above. The word translated “breath” is n’samach, meaning “breath, blast of breath; spirit, life.”)
It is powerful: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” (Ex. 14:21-22)
It guides us: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13)
Next time we see the trees sway and the water ripple, or feel the breeze, let’s thank God for his life-giving breath and pray to tune into the Spirit’s call in our lives.
How have you experienced wind/spirit/breath around you?
