Justice of Pentecost
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to
anyone who had need. (Acts 2:38-45)
In our acknowledgements and commemorations of Pentecost, we often focus solely on the initial effects of the outpouring of God's Spirit - the disciples speaking in various tongues. But what was the point of that? Was it just spectacle? When we read further, we realize that the disciples voices did indeed attract attention. The hearers either listened in wonder, or sneered with cynicism. But it was Peter's explanation, that Jesus was the reason for this awesome expression, and his message of the truth of salvation offered through Jesus, that held the crowd and caused them to ask what their response to this truth should be. What followed may have been even more of a miracle than the tongues of fire. The flicker of hope that was sparked when the unity of humanity was glimpsed in those few moments created the opportunity for true community to be kindled.
When protesters flooded the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota to protect the rights and lives of immigrants, the raised voices included people of all races and ages - even students steamed out of their schools to lend their voices and their presence to the cause. People all over the country and the world joined their calls for justice. In those weeks, we too glimpsed the unity of humanity. So impactful were those cries that those who favor oppression have shifted to subtler tactics and doubled down on efforts to silence the unified spirit of justice. Perhaps in this season of Pentecost we should seek not to be moved emotionally, but to be moved to action, moved to ignite the fire of community united in justice, moved to hear the voices of the oppressed and moved to be voices of liberty. God has gifted us with the power of the Spirit. May we allow God's Spirit to overflow from our souls to our voices, to our hands, to our feet. God's kingdom come, God's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of power deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to
drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12: 7-13)
Enjoy these two expressions of faith in languages of the world!
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