To keep his word, to remember what he said, is to love him. It’s also to abide in him and in the Father. It’s the promise he made the night of his betrayal, just before his death. Love, if only we would keep his words.

But to keep the words of Christ isn’t something we can manage on our own. Our wills are too wicked and weak; weary, we too often seek out what’s easiest, the path of least resistance, what Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.” That’s why Jesus talked about the “Advocate, the Holy Spirit.” Because it’s the gift we need to be Christians. Without the Spirit we simply are not Christians. Without the Spirit active in your life, your soul isn’t fully alive. To keep his word, to remember what he said, to love him: for this we need the Spirit.

Which is why Pentecost matters—and not just for Church as a whole, but for you. For this promise of Christ to mean anything for you, you must seek the Holy Spirit—to pray for your own Pentecost. It’s not just some historical or liturgical feast, but an invitation to be a better Christian. It’s often what’s forgotten in our formal religion: the wild burning of the Spirit of God. Which is why we must pray for the Spirit like life depends upon it. Because it does.

Come, Holy Spirit, our souls inspire. Pray this, friends, with me. Let’s really pray it.