My older brother Phil tells great stories and he always starts with “So there I was…” Well, Pentecost is a pretty great story.
So there they were, “all in one place together” says the scripture. In my head, I’ve always pictured a rather dark space about the size of a small banquet hall; complete with large table in the center and the Apostles all sitting around it; kinda like the Last Supper. The fact is that according to Acts 2:15, it was nine o’clock in the morning. I suspect the sun was bright and the coming of the Spirit exponentially increased the light where they were…..nothing dark about it.
Oh…and it was noisy. “There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house where they were.” says Acts 2:2. This “wind”, you may recall, was present at the Creation in Genesis 1:2 “a mighty wind swept over the waters.” “Mighty” you say? This was the start of the creation process for the world. Later in Genesis 2:7 “the Lord, God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath (ruach) of life, and so man became a living being.” In Acts, this “strong driving wind” is the creation of the Church, something now alive. The giving of life to otherwise inanimate things happens by this Wind. But I digress.
We left off at noisy earlier. Then comes “tongues of fire.” We often speak of a “roaring” fire….more noise. Similarly, fire like this was present in the forming of the covenant with Abraham. After Isaac was spared, Abraham prepares the sacrifice and fire. It takes a pretty roaring, noisy fire to burn-up a ram. Fire was also present in the Burning Bush when God forms His covenant with Moses. Fire sure has lots creative energy for something that is typically associated with destruction.
Then, to complete the Pentecostal cacophony, we have the Apostles speaking “in different tongues.” My NAB footnote explains this as “ecstatic prayer in praise of God”. I’ve witnessed speaking in tongues before. Even at normal decibels it’s something to behold. Here, my mind’s eye pictures the Apostles, having already been lifted from their seated positions by the wind and fire, arms raised, boldly, loudly praising God perhaps in figures of speech both poetic and alarming, while the wind and fire rage around and on them. Basic Bible study reveals this “speaking in tongues” aspect of the story as the undoing of the Tower of Babel. Where the event at the tower was intended to scatter, the Pentecost event (the word “event” seems anemic in this instance) is a creative, unitive happening. Where the tower was a man-made structure, at Pentecost, the structure of the Church is being created…not by man but by God Himself. It’s made up of human beings, not stones. The Tower of Babble was created out of man’s pride. The Church was created to help heal man’s pride. Similarly, Jesus speaks of Himself in comparison to the Temple; not stones to be torn down, but flesh and blood to be rebuilt in three days. In case you’re not sure, none of this is coincidental.
So we know that it’s bright light and roaring fire and noisy wind filling the house at nine o’clock in the morning! People begin to gather. They all hear the Apostles praising God in their own languages. Massive noise, wind, fire and shouting all happening in sequence and culminating simultaneously would normally instill fear in human beings. However, scripture says that people of all nations begin to gather. My sense of this is that it’s more than mere curiosity that’s drawing them in. My sense of it is that the power of God, at its core, is attractive to humanity (perhaps more often than it is terrifying).
Finally, completing the formation of the Church here, Peter, the rock, the leader, stands up to help make sense of all of this to the crowd. Hmmm…the leader stands up, to address the crowd and help them understand the events happening around them and God’s role in it from the beginning. More coincidence. Yeah, right.
I’ve come to see Pentecost now in my mind’s eye as something overwhelming to the senses; an event of tremendous, percussive force; something akin to wild fire-hurricane inside of a skating rink. Slinging out from the sides of it as it whirls around and whistles loudly like a massive, Fourth of July pinwheel, are Apostle-shaped trails of sparks. These sparks land on the dry tinder scattered about in the area and more small fires spread, and so it goes.
The liturgical season of “Ordinary Time” resumes at the close of the Feast of Pentecost. If “ordinary” means that we’re to be slinging ourselves out in circles, whirling and squealing and setting fires for Christ well then, whatever comes after ordinary must really be something. Can’t wait.
May God continue to guide your head, hands and heart.
