When I was invited to give this lecture I was asked to speak about the Holy Spirit in relation to my own research interests. I am currently working on the Resurrection Narrative in the Gospel if John in relation to what I consider the most pressing issue in our world today, namely violence. My overarching question is the following: what are Christians called to be and do in the face of the escalating violence in our world? In this lecture I am focusing on John 20:19-23, the scene in which Jesus appears to his disciples on Easter evening and commissions them to carry on his reconciling work in the world. I will focus on the second half of the periscope, vv.21-23:

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; any you hold fast are held fast (my translation).1