A version of this blog was given as a sermon at the historical Madison Avenue Baptist Church on January 26, 2025.
I was in the parking lot of Walgreens recently when I heard squeals of laughter erupting from a nearby Kia Soul. Intrigued—because laughter isn’t something you usually associate with a drugstore parking lot—I wandered over to see what was going on.
Peering around the car, I saw a little girl, no more than five years old, leaning out the window of the small SUV. In her hands was a brightly colored pinwheel spinning furiously in the wind. Her joy was infectious, the kind of pure, unfiltered delight only a child can express.
There’s something magical about a pinwheel. Show one of those simple toys to a child, and they’re immediately captivated. In an age where kids are glued to smartphones, video games, and high-tech gadgets, the fascination with a spinning pinwheel seems almost illogical. Maybe it’s the vibrant colors. Maybe it’s the simple act of watching the wind make something come alive.
But I think it’s something deeper—a primal connection to the power of the wind.
A pinwheel, after all, is designed to channel the invisible energy of the wind. When that happens, it fulfills its purpose. It becomes a living, whirling expression of that power.
From a theological standpoint, it’s easy to see the metaphor: God is the wind, and we are the pinwheel. When we are open to God’s power, we become vessels for a force far beyond our human limitations. The Spirit moves through us, animating us with purpose and vitality.
Sadly, we don’t always allow God’s Spirit to flow freely. Fear, doubt, and judgment block that holy power, like a pinwheel sitting in still air. We stifle the movement of the Spirit with our own shortcomings, leaving us lifeless and stagnant.
But when we release those barriers and let the Spirit work through us, something extraordinary happens. We become conduits of love, healing, and transformation. As my friend Dr. Michael B. Brown once prayed: “Lord, speak through me, and don’t let me get in the way.”
What might the world look like if we all got out of the way? If we stood side by side in solidarity, letting God’s power move through us?
Perhaps it would look like the great wind farms scattered across the western United States. These farms stretch for miles, with hundreds of wind turbines standing tall, harnessing the invisible power of the wind. Together, they generate energy to irrigate crops, grind grain, and light homes.
Now imagine us as God’s wind farm. If we stood side by side, each of us allowing God’s Spirit to flow freely through us, think of the change we could create. We could nourish the hungry, heal the broken, bring light to the darkness, and spread hope to the hopeless.
The power of God, like the wind, is renewable and limitless. It never runs out, and it’s always moving. But it’s up to us to raise our sails, to adjust our position, and to open ourselves to its flow.
Friends, the world is desperate for bold leaders and courageous givers. It needs people willing to step into the wind and channel God’s power for a higher purpose.
This week, I invite you to think about how you might catch the Spirit’s breeze. What fears or doubts do you need to let go of? How can you allow God to work through you to bring joy, healing, and purpose to others?
Lean into the wind. Let it spin your sails. Together, like a vast field of wind turbines, we can harness the power of God’s Spirit and change the world.