Thoughts on Pentecost

Have you ever had the experience of hearing something deep and meaningful from someone you'd never expect to hear it from? That was the experience of a whole crowd of people on the day of Pentecost. When the spirit whooshed into the house where the disciples were and licked each of them like flames of fire igniting a bunch of candles, they were suddenly and unexpectedly able to communicate spiritual ideas in a way that was accessible to everyone. The story says that "Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs" - all were able to understand what the disciples were saying. That's a lot of diversity! Yet despite their many differences, they were suddenly connecting deeply with each other.

It's interesting that the story doesn't say that everyone there all heard the same thing - it just says they each heard and received stories of spiritual power in their own language. It's amazing how the spirit of God can speak to each of us in the way we most need to hear it - and can also speak through each of us to others, even when we wouldn't normally speak the same language. On Pentecost, we're reminded that the spirit of God can overcome all communication barriers!

 When have you felt that you were communicating deeply and spiritually with another person? Conversely, when have you felt simply unable to get your point across to someone?  Have you ever experienced a spiritual breakthrough with someone you normally couldn't communicate with? How has the spirit entered into your voice, your heart and your relationships with others?

                                            ...thoughts on Acts 2:8, from Pentecost Sunday's readings: "And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?"