Paraclete as Binky?
The beginning of the passage from Sunday, April 27th Gospel (John 14:15-16) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.”
The word in Greek translated above in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible as “Advocate” is Paraclete . Paraclete literally means someone called alongside to help or assist. The direct translation from Greek to Latin gives us the word Advocate. An Advocate in the law courts is “someone who is called to speak for someone on trial, either as that persons defending counsel or to intercede with the judge. Other English translations use “Counselor” or “Intercessor”.
Another English translation uses the word “Comforter”. We can think of someone being comforted at the death of a loved one. One dictionary meaning has this “device used for an infant to suck or bite.” Remember Linus, in the Peanuts cartoon, with his “comfort blanket.” I had one of those as a kid, it was wool, but I think I ate holes in it. Following this definition of Comforter, you could use the object of a “pacifier” or more commonly called a “Binky” today. A Binky certainly brings comfort to a child. But the original meaning of “comforter” was “to give strength or courage.” Thus the Paraclete as Comforter is one called to give strength or courage to another. I think a “Binky” not only brings comfort in the sense that it can calm someone, but I also think it gives a child strength or courage. It helps them go and do things that they are afraid to do without it.
I know parents are always having to deal with the issue of when the do away with the “Binky.” One thing I heard was of the “Binky fairy” who comes to take the Binky away when it is no longer needed.
If the “Paraclete” is a “comforter” as one comes alongside to give strength or courage; and a “Binky” is a comforter. Can we not think of the Paraclete as a “Binky”?
Of course we understand the “Paraclete” to be the Holy Spirit. The One whom Jesus asks the Father to send is the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit my Binky in the sense that she gives me strength and courage?