Memorial Day commemorates, first of all, those who died fighting for a United States of America instead of for a divided United States. It is a reminder of the divisions and tensions we have experienced as a nation over the years.
There have been divisions and tensions within the Church as well. The complaint of the Greek-speaking widows led to the formation of special ministers of service to them. The tensions between Jewish Christians and pagan Christians led to the council of Jerusalem and the compromises needed for unity.
The situation described in today’s reading from Acts is another time of tension and potential division. The movement begun by John the Baptist had not ended with his death. People still proclaimed his teaching and baptism. It still flourished in Ephesus during Paul’s absence from there.
When Paul returned to Ephesus, he learned of this John-the-Baptist group. He met with them and explained the differences between John and Jesus. In the end they came to believe in Jesus and received baptism and the Holy Spirit.
With that challenge met, the Church continued to grow under the authority of the apostles with the Holy Spirit.
Our history shows that the Church has weathered many tensions and threats to mission. The Great Schism between East and West in the Church is another trial. The Protestant break in the Western Church is another challenge. The period of the First and Second World Wars was another challenge to the Church. The nuclear age and the age of technology led to the Second Vatican Council and the Holy Spirit’s answer to the challenges of the modern world.
The Church has experienced distress and tension as it moves from place to place announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus. Were St Luke here to continue writing the Acts, he would continue to show how the Holy Spirit has worked to keep the Church united under the authority of the Apostles.
On this Memorial Day, when we remember our nation’s continuing struggle for unity, let us celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who gives life to the Church. It is likewise only the Holy Spirit who can give life and unity to our national existence.