Something Happened
Every Pentecost Sunday the most compelling of the three readings for me is Acts 2:1-11. These slow-to-get-it, doubtful, and frightened Apostles received the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire and became Courageous. Something Happened.
The Apostles had one native language when they left the upper room to speak to the crowds who were from many nations with different languages, but everyone who heard the Apostles understood each word that was proclaimed.
Something Happened.
Lately in America, doesn’t it feel like we’re speaking a foreign language to more and more of our neighbors? Doesn’t it feel like in the era of more diverse ways to communicate, our communication with each other is breaking down and failing?
Changing definitions for generations-old established words and totally invented new words are leading to divisions. People talk while simultaneously scrolling social media, which means that attention is divided and leads to misunderstandings. Our families, neighborhoods, communities, and country has lost the ability to talk civilly with those we don’t agree with. We can all name people in our lives who no longer speak to each other, and we are increasingly divided.
We could spend hours dissecting and theorizing the “why’s.” We could point to politics, social issues, media, and technology. Pointing fingers and straining to pinpoint the exact event or time that it fell apart and place blame is a waste.
This is not that complicated. America is no longer a Christendom. And we Christians often stay silent rather than proclaim Christ’s message of repentance, redemption, forgiveness, and love.
The antidote to Anger and Hate is Forgiveness and Love. Jesus proved this as He died for our sins on the cross. We who are followers of Christ must speak as we are able and trust that the Holy Spirit will give us the words that allow others to hear. We who are followers of Christ, when faced with a debate about some divisive topic, must talk about Christ and proclaim His message. It begins with talking with those closest to us. We must find courage to Cross the Great Divide. (“Cross” reference intended).
What happened in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost was a miracle; born of the Holy Spirit to bring the Resurrection and Truth of Jesus Christ to the world.