You Follow Me

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow we celebrate Pentecost – the day the Holy Spirit came like fire upon the fearful disciples and transformed them into witnesses. But here is something important: the Holy Spirit did not make the apostles identical.

Peter became bold and fiery. John became contemplative and deeply loving. Thomas struggled with doubt. Paul became a missionary. Some preached publicly. Some served quietly. Some died as martyrs. Some lived long hidden lives.

Same Spirit.
Different mission.

And that is hard for us. Because comparison is one of the greatest spiritual distractions in the modern world. We compare vocations. Compare holiness. Compare success. Compare suffering. Compare influence. Compare gifts. We look at someone else’s marriage, someone else’s ministry, someone else’s prayer life, someone else’s personality, and quietly ask: “Lord… what about me?”

But the Holy Spirit is not trying to turn you into somebody else. The Spirit wants to set you on fire. Not a copy. Not a competitor. But a disciple. And honestly, one of the saddest things in life is when people spend so much time looking sideways that they never actually follow Jesus with their whole heart.

Peter in the Gospel, almost misses the moment because he is distracted by John. And Jesus pulls him back and says: “That is not your concern. You follow Me.”

Those words are freeing. Because maybe your path looks different than everyone else’s. Maybe your calling feels hidden. Maybe your gifts “seem” small. Maybe your suffering makes no sense. Maybe your life is not unfolding according to your expectations. Still: You follow Him.

And tomorrow at Pentecost, we remember this: The Holy Spirit did not descend on perfect people. The Spirit descended on available people. Fearful, Confused, Weak but Available people.

So today, let us ask ourselves:
What is distracting me from my own call? Who am I comparing myself to? Where am I resisting the particular path God has given me? Because someday, at the end of our lives, Jesus will not ask why we were not Peter, or John, or Mother Teresa, or anybody else. He will ask one thing: “Did you follow Me?”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, so often I look sideways instead of looking at You. I compare, I doubt, I become distracted by other people’s lives. But today You simply say: “Follow Me.” Give me the courage to trust the path You have chosen for me. Set my heart on fire this Pentecost – not to become someone else, but to become the saint You created me to be. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko