It’s Pentecost this week, one of the biggest, flashiest festivals in the church year. Certainly in the top three, anyway. Many churches even celebrate it as the church’s birthday. And why not, it’s a big, flashy story that lends itself well to excitement and we could use some of that in church.
In the Bible, the Book of the Acts of the Apostles records the work of the earliest followers of Jesus in the days after he’s gone. It’s about the very beginnings of what would become “the church.” The first chapter is about Jesus’ physical departure and the second about this experience we call Pentecost. (The name’s not so flashy, though, it just means “fiftieth” because it’s fifty days after Easter).
Jesus’ closest followers were together in Jerusalem, waiting for the Spirit to come as Jesus’ promised, and suddenly there’s a rush of wind and tongues of flame appear over each of their heads. These were signs of the Spirit’s presence. Then they were inspired to speak of “God’s deeds of power,” but they were inspired to speak in other languages, the native languages of many of the people around them who were from other countries. Some people didn’t understand and thought they were drunk, but Peter speaks to them and says, no, this is the fulfilment of the words of the prophet Joel that “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
Cool.
You can see how many ways we could engage this story with those dramatic elements. Special effects, lighting, action, all that talking in other languages must have sounded crazy - there’s so much going on, so much excitement.
Okay, but let’s not lose sight of what really happened here.
We traditionally read this story as the Spirit descended or came upon them, as if it were some outside force doing something to them. Sure, but the reason that could happen was that they had learned from Jesus that the Divine Spirit was already in them, as it is in all of us. We’ve become disconnected, distant from God. But when we live as Jesus - that’s “The Way” John’s gospel talks about - we reconnect to the Spirit in us and are open to finding it in the world around us. That’s what’s happening here. It’s not happening to them, but with them. As it can with all of us.
The rush of wind is what Hebrew scripture called “ruach,” literally the breath of God, the breath that is in all living things. The tongues of fire are a sign of the connection made, engaging the Spirit in and around them.
And the speaking in different languages? I think that’s a sign of connections being made with the spirits of those who were open to hearing what the disciples had to say, open to hearing in their own individual way. And that isn’t just a reminder that we should be inspired to communicate in a way that people will understand, that people can engage. There’s something before that.
The very first thing the Spirit inspires is the acknowledgement of the diversity of all people and the willingness to engage that diversity in a way that touches the heart of each person. That’s why the “native language of each.” It’s a connection to home, to their deepest connection to the earth and to God. It feels like home.
The very first thing the Spirit inspired, to lay the foundation for “church,” was to acknowledge, engage and affirm that diversity of all people. Is your spirit open to hearing that?
