“Energy” is defined as the quantitative property transferred to a body or physical system, recognizable as the capacity to do work and produce change, heat, or light. In physics, “work” means the force to move an object—so energy is what causes movement. The law of conservation teaches that energy cannot ever be created or destroyed, only transformed. Though the world of science measures energy, the world of spirituality might think of it in terms of quality more than quantity.

There are many types of physical energy, including kinetic, thermal, electrical, nuclear, chemical, and potential. There is also intellectual energy, emotional energy, and spiritual energy. Energy is equated to power. Spiritualists sometimes speak of the Holy Spirit as divine energy. Without beginning or end, without creation or destruction, it is constantly transformed in our midst or, as Jesus said, “Like the wind that blows wherever it pleases, you hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it’s going…that is how it is with the Holy Spirit.” It has always been with us, causing movement, using its celestial force to produce transformation.

Some people have high energy levels. Some of us cannot stay still for very long; some have a mind that never ceases to think of amazing ideas; some have a soul that is restless and abundant. Most of us, even if we have high energy, experience periods of low energy; if we have good energy, we are not immune to bad spirits now and then either. It is that way with churches, too. I am grateful when I get to serve in parishes that treasure good energy and whose members receive it to, subsequently, usher in sacred dynamism that they spread to others.

Holy energy, as Father Ron Rolheiser contends, is a divine fire that emanates from God and inspires us to participate in sanctfied acts of creativity even while wrestling with our human longings. Since God is infinite energy and the living fire at the core of existence, we are all drawn to that sacred source for breath and all that flows from it. This heavenly grace is deeply personal yet seeks the common good of all. It is playful, exuberant, robust, and light to bear. It yearns to love on the level that God loves but realizes that such moments are rare and fleeting. It possesses the powerful effects of the biblical Pentecost when timid individuals became brave, selfish people understood compassion for others, and ignorant men received knowledge in their minds, understanding in their hearts, and wisdom in the core of their souls. Perhaps more than anything, this inertia brings forth gratitude and humility.

Among my blessings within inner city ministry is the privilege of encountering numerous people who are unencumbered by rubric or dogma so that they embrace this holy energy and share it as part of their mission. They carry out God’s plan to fill the hearts of the faithful and to kindle in them the fire of divine love in hope of renewing the face of the earth. That’s the kind of transformation that sometimes happens inside those who visit urban churches as they praise God and stand in solidarity with sisters and brothers who struggle daily for dignity. They experience a different kind of power. It is the power of divine energy.