Those of us who flatter ourselves that we have a "realistic" view of the world may listen to the first reading today and say, "Get real!" when we hear Luke's account of the early, Elysian days of the Christian movement. All seems to be rosy, lots of wonders are performed, everyone shares selflessly, they eat together in "exultation," and the Lord added to their numbers? Well, who wouldn't be attracted to a group like this? From the wind that swept through the upper room at Pentecost as the Spirit of God blew over the face of the waters in Genesis, and the fire that appeared over each disciple as the light appeared at the dawn of creation, Luke's intent in Acts is to show a new creation, a restoration of creation's original goodness through the working of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who continues to make us into the Body of Christ. We may occasionally, like Thomas in the Gospel, say, "Get real!" but our ultimate reality in the Spirit is to work continually to make our Christian community a new creation, one in which others will find God's joy and beauty.