Spring, New Birth, and the Renewal of the Holy Spirit – A Message with Prof. Dion Forster

In this episode of the Get Up and Go Breakfast program on Radio Cape Pulpit, host Anton Brink speaks with Professor Dion Forster – holder of the University Research Chair in Public Theology and Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, extraordinary professor at Stellenbosch University, and ordained Methodist minister – about the theme of spring, new birth, and spiritual renewal. Speaking from Šibenik, Croatia, where he is teaching (with his wife Megan joining him), Prof. Forster reflects on the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere and the joy it brings – warmer weather, blossoming flowers, students sitting outside in the sun. He connects this natural season of renewal to the spiritual renewal we experience as Christians. He references John 3:3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" – and Titus 3:5, which speaks of "the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit." He emphasizes that God constantly comes toward us, just like the seasons, offering us opportunities for renewal, regeneration, and resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit, God doesn't just walk alongside us – He lives within us as our Comforter, Counselor, and Friend. Prof. Forster encourages listeners to ask themselves: "How attentive are we to the move of God in our lives?" He explains that while God's renewal is a gift, we must be willing to recognize it, respond, and nurture the seeds that have been planted in us – so that we can bear fruit.