The question posed in class was a provocative one, paraphrasing Jesus, “Who do you say the Holy Spirit is?”

Scriptural descriptions sprung to mind: Helper, Advocate, Counselor, Comforter. Then, of all things, an unexpected image: Robert Duvall in The Godfather.

The Oscar-winner played Tommy, The Godfather Don Corleone’s “consigliere.” The consigliere was more than a personal lawyer. He was an adviser, a confidant, a representative, a fixer, a voice of calm reason. In Tommy’s case, he was also a family member. This closeness, this intimacy seems to bring us nearer to the reality of the Holy Spirit than our cultural concept of counselor or helper.

But there is another task of the consigliere, as fans of the Godfather movies remember: He serves as a point of contact between rival crime families. He helps “make the peace.” So too the Holy Spirit.

He’s the one who helps me “make the peace,” that is, to love my enemies.

Madonna … or Letting Anger Sleep with the Fishes

This was made very clear this past weekend as I watched Madonna at the Woman’s March. The mobster in me, the flesh, wanted to respond to her vile rant in anger. “Yeah, let’s listen to the advice on womanhood from a woman who uses every scientific and fashion mean at her disposal to try and convince the world she’s still 22! Say, where’s your latest boy toy? Madonna, you’re so desperate for relevance, approval and attention you’ll spew f-bombs out of your surgically stretched face and threaten to blow up the White House! Hey, I just heard your new single: ‘Madonna Don’t Preach. You’re in Trouble Deep!’ Stinks like everything else you’ve done since ‘Ray of Light’.”

Judgement. Sonny Corleone-esque ire. I could rant all day.

“Oh, you’re ranting, too?” The Holy Spirit nudges. Snap. “Stop,” the Holy Spirit says, “Stop and go make the peace. See her as I see her.” Stillness settles on me. Agitation turns to empathy laced with sadness. The Holy Spirit whispers,

What brokenness, what disconnection from Me, what spirit of the world has done such a number on her that a hard-working, middle-aged mother of four feels she has to act like a coarse 20-something? What compels her to peddle in vulgarity, play the victim and dream of violence? She was created in My image and given a gift of creativity. Yet she’s used those gifts over the years to lash out at Me, even blaspheme Me. Do you see the tragedy? Does your heart break like Mine breaks? Have you prayed that she’d turn her heart and song back to Me?

“Uh, no.”

“Go make the peace.”

“Fine. Okay. But did you hear what she said about wanting to blow up the White House? Trump’s only been in office 24 hours and she’s out there —”

“About that. Did you always show the love for the previous occupant?” Again, snap. “Whataya say you forget about the speck in Madonna’s eye and get that Obama-sized plank out of your eye? Go make the peace. I didn’t create you to get riled up about politics anyway.”

The Prince of Peace

It is so easy these days to be at war with others. A mob war as bloody as any involving the Corleone’s. We find ourselves warring with friends and family on Facebook. Warring at TV talking heads. Warring with strangers even. Certainly warring with ourselves. 

Yet those of us who accept Christ have within us the Lord, the Prince of Peace who insists the battle is His, and the Holy Spirit that can help us in mighty ways to bring that peace to others.

The Holy Spirit was sent to us, tasked with bringing light and understanding. “He will teach you all things,” Jesus promised. But we don’t want to keep him locked away at the family compound while we’re out engaging with other people. As Jesus went on to say, he’ll “bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)  

And when do you think we need that remembrance most? When we’re in church singing a worship song or when we’re on Twitter reading a tweet that is making our blood bubble like a pot of spaghetti sauce? The answer’s obvious: We’re not urged to make the peace when things are already peaceful.

So when the verbal slap comes, “Remember what He said, ‘turn the other cheek.'”

When you want to throw a shoe at a cable news commentator, or break a Hollywood entertainer’s DVD over your knee. “Remember what He said, ‘Refrain from anger and turn from wrath — for it leads only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8) 

When hate is directed at you or your beliefs, “Remember what He said, ‘love your enemies.'” 

After all, when we love, we’re making an offer they can’t well refuse.