While the book of Acts really places the Holy Spirit front and center as the protagonist or leading character in evangelization, one of my favorite Old Testament passages on the Holy Spirit comes from Numbers 11:24-30. Even before the New Testament experience of Pentecost, we get an early glimpse of the generosity and inclusivity of the Spirit, which empowers us for mission.

The narrative follows a scene where Moses feels overwhelmed by the enormity of the task of leading the Hebrew people through the wilderness. In response, God tells him to call together 70 elders around the Tent of Meeting. The Spirit of God then descends in a cloud upon this group. Notice that God doesn’t take away the Spirit from Moses, but rather apportions it to empower the 70 to share in the leadership responsibilities. As a manifestation of the presence of the Spirit, the 70 begin to prophesy.

But two men, Eldad and Medad, were either not invited to the party or decided to stay in the camp for some reason. Yet the Spirit chooses to likewise rest on them. They, too, begin to prophesy. Their behavior causes a bit of concern for Joshua, who seems to consider this an affront to Moses’ authority. However, Moses, in his humility, rejoices over the liberal outpouring of the Spirit.

This account has New Testament parallels in both Mark 9:38-40 and Luke 9:49-50. Here, the apostle John is disturbed by a man who is casting out demons; the man is clearly not part of the “inside group.” Jesus, like Moses, is not bothered in the least; he advises John not to stop the man from doing what he is doing.

Contextually, this short dialogue follows a series of interactions between Jesus and the disciples. Earlier, in Luke 9:1, Jesus had given the twelve apostles power and authority to cast out demons, but later they seem unable to exorcize a man’s son. Then, shortly thereafter, Jesus confronts a dispute among the disciples about who is the greatest. So perhaps, not surprisingly, the main issues in these Old and New Testament stories are jealousy, privilege and pride.

We, too, can sometimes envy the gifts that our brothers and sisters in Christ have been given. Often this behavior stems from our own lack of awareness or confidence in how God has shaped and gifted us. ... Both Moses and Jesus remind us that the receipt of the Holy Spirit and the corresponding spiritual gifts do not give us a more special or holier status than our brothers or sisters in Christ. Rather, the gifts are given and designed to promote the common good for the entire body of Christ.

We’re not much different. We, too, can sometimes envy the gifts that our brothers and sisters in Christ have been given. Often this behavior stems from our own lack of awareness or confidence in how God has shaped and gifted us. We might try to hoard the gifts of the Spirit for ourselves or control how the gifts are used, as if the gifts are inherently ours and not the prerogative of God to distribute as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). We might look down on others who are not within our own religious circles. Sure, they’re Catholic. But they don’t practice the same devotions. Or (gasp!) they don’t share “our” political views.

Both Moses and Jesus remind us that the receipt of the Holy Spirit and the corresponding spiritual gifts do not give us a more special or holier status than our brothers or sisters in Christ. Rather, the gifts are given and designed to promote the common good for the entire body of Christ.

I recently heard a homily about how we are called, as living stones, to be built upon Christ as the cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:5-7). What struck me most was how the priest associated the Holy Spirit with the mortar between those stones. The Holy Spirit is both the “glue” that holds us together and, at the same time, the separation that keeps us distinct. I like this image because our giftedness keeps us from becoming a carbon copy of each other. Like facets of the same diamond, we each reflect a different aspect of the unity of God.

As we celebrate Pentecost, consider how the Holy Spirit is freely and extravagantly poured out. Signs and miracles follow, just as with Eldad, Medad, and the unnamed man who cast out demons. The Holy Spirit continues to not be limited, contained or confined to a certain group of people. As the Church spreads outward, the Spirit falls on Samaritans and Gentiles. Clearly, they are not part of the original covenant, not part of the inner circle. But it is this inclusive overflow of the Spirit that enables the Gospel to be spread and the Church to grow.

It’s easy to get distracted and discouraged about the mission of evangelization, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. Like Moses, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. But if we are to unleash the Gospel, we cannot leash the Spirit. We need every individual, every member of the Body of Christ to exercise his or her gifts, using bold creativity to reach out in new ways. In contemplating how we and others have been gifted within the Church, our goal might be diversity without divisiveness and unity without uniformity. As St. Paul aptly challenges in Ephesians 4:3, may we strive to make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Tamra Hull Fromm, Ph.D., is director of discipleship and an instructor with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan and has taught at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.