Description
Together in one place
“On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place” Acts 2:1
On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God came with the sound of a mighty rushing wind to a large number of people from many different places. There was no test to see if they were good enough, to see if they believed in Jesus, to see if they were mature and serious about their faith, to see if they had turned from their sins, to see if they were living good lives. As always, no matter who we are, the gifts of God are given in grace, not because we are good.
As we celebrate the day of Pentecost, we think about this question: What is it like when we live in the Spirit of God? Is it full of joy? Is it scary? Is there suffering and pain? In Romans 8:22-27 the writer says life in the Spirit of God is just like – wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…being very pregnant and having a baby. Bringing a new life into the world is hard work, painful. A mother’s body suffers in lots of ways, and it’s well known for women to groan and cry as a baby is being born. At the same time wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…the joy and wonder of new life that is coming is very real too.
In today’s reading from Acts 2:1-21 we hear of how the Story of Jesus is being told in brand new ways that more and more people from different places and situations can understand. Pentecost celebrates the way the Spirit gives many different languages of expression – all of which proclaim the good news of God’s presence and power.
Our many different ways of expressing and communicating our stories of God’s spirit among us can be woven together – we don’t need to make all of our voices or stories sound the same. Our differences are beautiful and helpful in proclaiming the fullness of the wonder of God’s life and love for the whole colourful cosmos.
