When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 2)
Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost commemorates the moment God poured out the Holy Spirit on the early Christians and thousands came to the faith that same day. Because of that, it is known as the birthday of the church, and some churches celebrate with birthday cakes, etc. Which is kind of cool, but at the same time makes me wonder if we’ve missed the point.
For many, the church is an institution, much like any other. But, the church isn’t a thing; it’s a who. The church isn’t buildings and hierarchy and rules: the church is people. On Pentecost, we don’t celebrate the founding of an institution. We celebrate the gathering together of a diverse group of believers.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ( Acts 2)
On that first Pentecost God reached out to people of every nation, language and ethnicity. On that first Pentecost God told them ‘you are all my beloved children united in the love of Christ.’
It was a wonderful start but, something seems to have gone awry. 2,000 years later Sunday morning from 10 – 11 is the most segregated hour of the week, as we worship separately according to class, culture, ethnicity, race and politics. 2,000 years later there is still work to do to bring about God’s wish that we might ‘all be one’ (John 17:11).
Unfinished business seems to be the theme this week, as the United States has witnessed some of the largest protests since the 1960’s. Equality for all, a work begun with the Civil War and carried on by thousands since, has not been achieved.
While I don’t condone the violence and looting, I do think it would be good for us who are white to take a step back and recognize where this rage comes from. While we would like to think that the police officer who killed George Floyd is an isolated case, we have to consider that he is merely the product of a racist system. As a white man, I do not know what people of color go through. But, I do know that my skin color grants me privileges that people of color don’t enjoy. And I have seen casual racism occur on a daily basis.
If we want to find a solution, we have to take an honest look at the injustice built into our culture, and not just put the blame on one bad cop. As uncomfortable as it may be to do, we have to take an honest look at ourselves. And as hard as it is to admit, I recognize that I play a role in our racist system and I need to repent of that.
On that first Pentecost something truly revolutionary took place. These days it’s fashionable to talk about wanting to live ‘an Acts 2 faith.’ Okay, fine. If we truly take our faith seriously, then we have to pick up the work that was begun and bring it to conclusion. That means we have to work for justice and equality for all people. The gospel was intended to bring freedom, not just to a few, but to everyone.
God bless, stay well.
Divine Overtones 
As always, you hit the nail on the head! Will our world ever be joined as one? Thank you always for these blogs, I await them always, wondering what I will get to read next. Thank you, Shirley
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