Pentecost by Fr Jack

The Acts of The Holy Apostles 2.1-21
St Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 12.3b-13
St John’s Gospel 20.19-23

Sometimes the lectionary gives us the Tower of Babel as a first reading today, from Genesis Chapter 11. Humanity’s unity, specifically our common language, is shattered by our hubristic attempt to build a tower to the heavens. To use our own strength and ingenuity to give ourselves God-like status, and secure our future. And what happens? We make it worse. We become, not god-like, not powerful and strong - but babbling (literally), scattered infants. We see it all around us in the world today.

It is a wonderful image of the human condition, right at the start of our story, in Genesis. As ever, Scripture’s sacred wisdom that speaks across the ages. 

Not that we shouldn’t strive, not that we shouldn’t use our God-given skills. But the meddling and megalomania of mankind (and it usually has been man-kind), rarely ends well.

Anyway, Scripture gives us Babel today in some years of the lectionary because, in some sense, Pentecost is the other side of that coin.

Here, God (not us) is the Prime Mover, God gives us God’s own self in the Holy Spirit to unite (in every language and tongue) and inspire us and send us to the world. A world that is now invited not into sausage machine of uniformity, but glorious unity. Uniformity is not very Christian, unity is. Let me explain…

The Apostles are able to speak in the languages of all who heard. To speak Jesus in their first language. It is an extraordinary thing. God spoken - not shouted until we conform - but salvation spoken in ways we can hear and respond as who we are: Medes, Parthians, Elamites. 

The Doctrine of the Hoy Trinity itself provides the pattern for glorious unity in diversity. The Father is not the Son or the Spirit, but all are one, God. The Spirit is not the Father or the Son, but all are one, God. The theological principle of unity in diversity.

Today our readings and prayers of intercession are in a variety of tongues. When we come to the Lord’s own Prayer at the heart of the Holy Communion, we are invited (as always) but especially today to offer it in whatever version and language we choose. Our mother tongue, or a language of our heart. 

It could be tokenism, or, as we hope, it could be a statement of who we are  as people of one human family under God, speaking God’s first language of love together, on behalf of everyone, everywhere. 

Just to notice a few more things from today’s readings, all of which St Luke (who wrote Acts), St John and St Paul are hoping we would notice!

‘They were all together in one place’ (Acts 2.1). There again, that unity that is core to who we are. The Apostles, Mary the Mother of the Lord, and the others were praying together as one when God sends the Spirit. That is who we are to be. Being a Christian on your own, or apart from the Eucharistic fellowship of the Church is simply not what God had in mind. This unity in diversity is a gift, take it! For us here, for the Church universal, the human family and all creation! It takes dedication, sacrifice, sometimes it’s jolly hard work, but it is God’s gift, and amazing things happen when we receive it. 

The Holy Spirit rushes like a violent wind. God is no pet. The Holy Spirit is not a zoo animal, but wild and wonderful. It is indeed a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (Hebrews 10.31).

 A rush of violent wind’ (Acts 2). Wind, breath, spirit - all the same word: Pneuma πνεῦμα in Greek and Ruach ר֣וּח in Hebrew. So that leads us nicely to St John today who has The Risen Jesus breathe on the Apostles (on the evening of Easter Day ‘the first day of the week’) to empower them for their ministry. 

St John is happy to play with chronology to make his theological point. Here he has a mini Pentecost moment on the Resurrection Day itself. He is leaving us in no doubt that this new dispensation in which the Church has a job to do is a fruit of the Resurrection. It is a new phase, stepping into the New Creation; Easter and Pentecost proclaim together that death and hell are moribund and God is on the move, doing new things.

And one of the fruits of this new creation is that this message is not just for the Hebrew People, but for the whole world: Libya, Egypt, Rome, Arabs, Cretans (as Acts tells us). There is no one and nothing outside this invitation to the New Creation. And what is this invitation? ‘Peace be with you’ says Jesus today. The very first thing He says to these Apostles on Easter Evening. 

The last time He saw them, they were abandoning Him as He went to His death. And His first invitation is ‘Peace be with you.’ And then He says it again. ‘Peace be with you.’ And then, far from reprimand or re-education, he breathes on them and empowers them to become agents of God’s mercy and love. Go and heal and reconcile humanity to God. With real power - that the church still ministers today in absolution and blessing.  

And we all have a part to play in this mission. St Paul spells it out for the Corinthians and for us. It is not my mission, but the Holy Spirit’s mission (She is the Prime Mover) in which we all play our part. No matter your skill set, age, outlook, means, whatever and whoever - God is inviting you to go and speak Jesus Risen to the world. Not on my terms, but in the first languages (so to speak) of those amongst whom we are set. 

To be, together, invited into the glorious technicolour of diversity in unity, in God. We speak and live that today in the Parish Eucharist. We keep leaning into that, even when it’s easier to hang out with ‘people like us’, even when we doubt our courage or capability, even when we are discouraged or downtrodden. 

Called into unity, Pentecost,

called into mercy, peace be with you,

called into the Spirt’s life-changing company, 

inspired not to build towers to our own glory or strength,

but sent to invite the world into the New Creation in the Risen Jesus. 

‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’
(Ephesians 30.20-21)