We're invited to discern and relish appearances of the Spirit of God

My brother Joe, who teaches in our hometown of Lisbon, N.D., (72 miles from Fargo), has been sending me photos of the Sheyenne River coursing at flood-tide through the town.

Hugh ice floes clog the river. A clawlike Caterpillar stands on the old North Bridge to free the channel from the mounting buildup of ice that threatens to create a giant ice dam and blow the bridge away.

The river is relentless. It certainly won't be tamed.

My belief is that the Spirit of God, unleashed in the Easter Resurrection, is much like this river. It's powerful, it's dangerous and it's relentless. It surges to wash away corruption, violence, sinfulness, betrayal — all that damages the human spirit. It will not be tamed.

The play "A Sleep of Prisoners" by Christopher Fry uses a metaphor of the spring breakup where the frozen misery of centuries breaks, cracks and begins its thunderous move.

The thunder is the thunder of the floes,

The thaw, the flood, the upstart Spring.

Thank God our time is now when wrong

Comes up to face us everywhere,

Never to leave us till we take

The longest stride of soul men ever took.

Affairs are now soul size.

The enterprise

Is exploration into God.

So too for us, especially for Christians in this Eastertide, "affairs are now soul size." And "the enterprise is exploration into God."

We are invited, just as the early Christian disciples were after the death and Resurrection of Christ, to attend to, to discern, and to relish the appearances of Christ's Spirit.

Wherever there was peace, wherever there was joy, and wherever there was reconciliation and forgiveness there indeed was God's Spirit.

An example of a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit was certainly the prayer service "Yom HaShoah: Remembering the Holocaust" two nights ago at St. James Cathedral. In heartfelt unity, Holocaust survivors were joined by Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in a candle-lighting ceremony in memory of the 6 million who lost their lives in the Holocaust. This lament was a powerful counterforce to the forces of evil and prejudice in our own day.

Another "exploration into God" is the Northwest Catholic Women's Convocation IV occurring May 1-2 in Bellevue. Organized by the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center, this convocation will draw more than 2,000 women and "a few good men" to share life-giving stories of faith, of spiritual transformation, and of working together to promote justice. (Registration available at www.ipjc.org.)

My sister from Wenatchee attended Convocation III three years ago.

"It's an incredible opportunity for women to understand the forgiveness of a loving God as well as valuing ourselves and appreciating the world around us," she said. "A few words can't begin to express how uplifting the experience was."

Another woman friend said, "I have loved each Catholic women's convocation! They are so powerful and hope-filled. The collaborative spirit of the top-notch, nationally recognized speakers along with creative prayer, dance, music and conversation continue to inspire me."

Through the centuries the Catholic Church has both valued and suppressed the religious experience of women. This convocation gives voice and impetus and energy to the Spirit of God. It may be the flood that cannot be held back.

If so, we might need this encouragement given by Shakespeare in order to catch God's Spirit inspiring such events:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune

— "Julius Caesar"

Act 4, scene 3

Fr. Patrick Howell SJ is the rector (religious superior) of the Jesuit community at Seattle University and professor of pastoral theology. Readers may send feedback to faithcolumns@seattletimes.com