The Holy Spirit and Languages. (Two-parter)

The Holy Spirit and Languages.  This Morning Briefing is a two-parter.

Part One.

We made our way across London via the Underground to see Chelsea play Fulham in a football game, (yes, what Americans call soccer), and after finding our seats, I set out to find something to drink, (vendors do not come round the seats).   As I approached long lines, a young woman let me know there were no ‘queues’ further along the way … and I tried to decipher what she might mean by that … back and forth we went a few times through smiles, and I finally decided to figure out if she was indicating ‘no wait’ further along the way at other food stands.  Sure enough!  But with the two of us, it was all pleasant, as we tried to understand each other—quite different than today, when my lack of understanding, and my very limited French in Paris, France—has not been so keenly viewed.  

You already know I am a smil-er, and that seems to cut through an awful lot of barriers … and I also practiced a few pleasantries of the beautiful French language … but after that, well, I am not so brilliant.   Note to self: Enjoying a common language is essential in sharing of culture and relationship and friendship and yes, much of any real faith, too!   [Oh all right, someone is taking exception just now…..of course, worshiping silently next to a fellow believer is beautiful, but quite limiting, you will agree] 

Now, where have we left the bereft believers, who have just seen Jesus ascend into Heaven?  Jesus told them to wait until the Holy Spirit came to them … to pray, and to stay together, remember?  Luke writes:

Acts 2.1-13 - When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.  Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphilia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism) Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Welcome, Holy Spirit, and thank you, Lord, for keeping your promise of sending the Holy Spirit to inhabit the people of God!  It is an amazing word- picture that Luke paints of this historic event, describing the wind, and what looked like tongues of fire resting on each individual's head.  Luke also does well in pinpointing this day on the church calendar--forty days after Jesus rose from the grave, he ascends into Heaven; and 10 days after that, the Holy Spirit comes to the believers still gathered together in a room.

The Holy Spirit comes on the Day of Pentecost, (meaning fifty--so, 50 days after Passover), and would forever change the world, most especially the Christian world.  Pentecost is one of three annual Jewish festivals, and is also called the "Feast of Weeks" because it is seven weeks after Passover. Pentecost required Jews to travel to Jerusalem with gifts and offerings to present to God. The timing is remarkable because the feast is what brought Jews from "the ends of the earth" together in Jerusalem, to be present at the same time; the Pentecost is what caused them to be able to hear the Gospel preached in their own languages!

Language . . . the way God allows us to understand each other, and him.  So amazing, so simple, so divine.

la grâce de vous,

Christine